[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 113 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ENERGY CONSUMERS RELIEF ACT OF 2013

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                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 31, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1582) to 
     protect consumers by prohibiting the Administrator of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency from promulgating as final 
     certain energy-related rules that are estimated to cost more 
     than $1 billion and will cause significant adverse effects to 
     the economy, with Ms. Ros-Lehtinen in the chair.

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this so-
called Energy Consumers Relief Act, which would be more accurately 
titled the Blocking Public Health Protections Act. The best I can say 
about this bill is that it is going precisely nowhere--and for good 
reason.
  Under this legislation, the Department of Energy would be required to 
waste increasingly limited resources undertaking costly and time-
consuming review of certain ``energy-related'' EPA rules. The term 
``energy-related'' is not defined, and no time limit is given for 
completion of DoE's duplicative analysis.
  As a result, H.R. 1582 would have the practical--and intended-- 
effect of blocking or indefinitely delaying important public health 
protections, even if the Secretary of Energy never exercises his 
authority to overturn the EPA--protections like the Mercury and Air 
Toxic Standards, which will reduce mercury and other harmful toxins 
from power plants; or the vehicle tailpipe standards, which, 
ironically, are already saving consumers money at the pump.
  Madam Chair, Americans expect their government to ensure that their 
air is healthy and their water is clean. H.R. 1582 is poorly drafted, 
ill-conceived legislation that would take us in precisely the opposite 
direction.
  I urge a ``no'' vote.

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