House GOP seeks big cuts in environmental rules

New proposed rules by the House GOP would allow for more uranium prospecting near Grand Canyon National Park, seen here in this undated photo at Yavapai Point, on the south rim.

/ NPS

Republicans have regularly called rigorous environmental protection laws anti-business and anti-growth, and they appear to be taking advantage of their greater numbers in the House of Representatives to try to roll them back, mostly by defunding them.

House GOP members have loaded up an appropriations bill with at least 39 different legislative riders that seek to minimize the powers of the National Parks Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Environmental Protection Agency, The New York Times reports.

According to House Democrats, the anti-environment legislative riders include: One that would prevent the Bureau of Land Management from designating new wilderness areas for preservation; Another that waives the Clean Air Act requirements for big oil companies; And still another that allows new uranium prospecting near Grand Canyon National Park.

While there is little chance that most of the riders singled out by Democrats will pass the Democrat-controlled Senate, there is a chance that some will survive negotiations between the Senate and the House on a mutually acceptable final bill, the Times reports.

Republicans say they see "overreaching" in regulation going on at agencies like the EPA, and that that is contributing significantly to America's stagnant economy. Democrats claim the GOP is just acting on behalf of its corporate overlords, and therefore trying to roll back 40-year-old crucial protections on air, water and nature, in the name of greater profit.

Former White House energy and climate adviser Carol Browner told Politico that the GOP fight against environmental regulations is a rerun from the 1990s, when Newt Gingrich was Speaker and he led a Republican-majority House in a similar effort that was largely unsuccessful.

"You know what the American people said? They said, 'Hold on a second. We want a cop on the beat. We want clean air. We want clean water,'" Browner said.

The appropriations bill was voted out of committee with the 39 riders, and is currently under open debate on the House floor, where more riders can now be added one by one.

[PABoese]

Where is the news reporting on these Republican ideas to exempt big oil corporations from the clean air act and to allow uranium mining around the Grand Canyon? If ordinary Americans saw these reports on the evening news, the local news, whatever they watch, wouldn't there be enough of an outcry to get this nonsense stopped? The best way to root out sin is to expose it to the light of day. Put it in the spotlight and see how it fares.

[jimbom121]

What do they have against clean air and water?

[tsigili]

Might as well just blow the planet to kingdom come, now, and save us all the pain of the slow death.

[karek40]

The hard line you are taking against the Republicans is exactly the same line they are taking against Democrats, that is why independents will decide the next election. Repubs and Dems will vote lock step for their party and will not compromise. Independents think outside your party lines. Regardless of which party wins it is not an endorcement of either parties lines - it is the lesser of two evils.

[karek40]

Finally someone has figured out the main reason manufacturing is leaving this country. Environmental restrictions make it more profitable for the company to go to a country which has none and since the air circles the globe, we still get to breath the pollution from China.

[reality_sanity]

by RobAla July 28, 2011 12:07 AM EDT
Thought about why businesses would sit on cash, ...

-----

Businesses sit on cash when there is no demand in the marketplace; the demise of the middle class in this country under Bush and the Republicans has led to stagnant demand leaving businesses to look for some emerging opportunity to expand that will probably be linked with an eventual re-emergence of the middle class.

[Progress4U]

Some people see a Grand Canyon...the GOP sees a nuclear waste dump. It's really just a matter of persective!!!!!!!!

[Progress4U]

GOP = I HATE GOD's EARTH!!!!

[zenia5]

Holy cow! Not only does the GOP want to destroy this Nation fiscally, they also want to destroy it environmentally. What idiots.

[formrusmcsgt]

Neos are allways down with prostituting the environment to line their benefactor's pockets.......