Parties Butt Heads Over EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulation

By Kaeun Yu

On Tuesday’s hearing on Climate Science and the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Regulations, the respective political parties in the House showed their differences on EPA’s regulation of greenhouse gases.

House Energy and Commerce subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky) suspects that even if he acknowledges that climate change is an important issue, EPA actions will do much to stop global warming and it will result in a negative economic impact.

“Greenhouse gas regulation will have a major impact on our economy,” said Whitfield during his opening remarks. 

“Unilateral action by the EPA will not make much of a difference…The agency rules are no solutions,” added Whitfield.

On the other hand, the ranking member of the committee Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), urged immediate action and that inaction on reducing greenhouse gas has profound costs.

“Our health and lives, our economic strength, our national security, all are threatened by climate change” said Waxman.

“If my doctor told me I had cancer, I wouldn’t scour the country to find someone to tell me that I didn’t need to worry about it,” Waxman added.

The hearing came in advance of a vote on Upton-Inhofe bill, which will block action of EPA to reduce greenhouse gases.