[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5200]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           THE EPA AMENDMENT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, later today, the Senate will vote on 
an amendment that one leading newspaper described last week as one of 
the best proposals for growth and job creation to make it onto the 
Senate docket in years. More specifically, this amendment, which is 
based on legislation proposed by Senator Inhofe, would prevent 
unelected bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency from 
imposing a new national energy tax on American job creators.
  Everyone knows that this attempt to handcuff American businesses with 
new costs and regulations is the last thing these job-creators need 
right now. That is why even Democrats in Congress have sought to secure 
the same kind of exemptions from the law for favored industries in 
their own States that we saw others from their party trying to secure 
for favored constituencies in the health care law.
  Democrats from auto States tried to have the auto industry exempted. 
And Democrats from farming States tried to have farmers exempted.
  What these efforts show, is that Democrats themselves recognize the 
dangers of these EPA regulations. Yet instead of just voting for the 
one amendment that solves the problem, they are hiding behind sham 
amendments designed to give them political cover.
  Republicans have a better idea--let's try to make sure everybody is 
exempted. Let's not pick winners and losers. Let's let America's small 
businesses and entrepreneurs compete and grow on a level playing field 
without any more burdensome government regulations, costs, or redtape.
  The amendment I have offered on behalf of Senator Inhofe would do 
that.
  The amendment would give businesses the certainty that no unelected 
bureaucrat at the EPA is going to make their efforts to create jobs 
even more difficult than the administration already has. So once again, 
I thank Senator Inhofe for his strong leadership on this issue. He has 
led the way in protecting American jobs from this burdensome proposal 
with determination and common sense. He deserves the credit.
  I also want to thank Chairman Upton and my good friend, Congressman 
Whitfield, for fighting against this effort by the EPA and moving 
legislation to prevent it in the House.

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