Wednesday, February 22, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – Republican members of the Energy and Power Subcommittee today wrote to White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew to ask that EPA disclose the cost of its recent Utility MACT regulation. Members are asking Lew to ensure EPA adheres to President Obama’s Executive Order 13563, which requires agencies to use the best available techniques to quantify anticipated present and future benefits and costs of regulations. EPA has yet to produce an estimate of the full costs of the regulation, and agency officials have suggested they have no intention of ever doing so.   Read More >

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns responded this evening after the Obama White House failed to meet another deadline to produce internal Solyndra-related documents. The White House has failed to comply with committee subpoenas that were issued on November 3, 2011. On December 12, 2011, committee investigators went to the White House for good faith negotiations and presented administration lawyers with a proposed list of eleven narrowed categories. Despite expressing a willingness to comply, the White House has only provided a fraction of the documents responsive to the subpoena. In a February 9, 2012, letter to White House lawyers, the committee had given the White House a February 21, 2012, deadline to turn over all Solyndra related documents.   Read More >

Friday, February 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC - The House Energy and Commerce Committee this evening received 463 pages of internal White House documents and emails produced in response to subpoenas issued by the committee on November 3, 2011. On December 12, 2011, committee investigators went to the White House for good faith negotiations and presented administration lawyers a proposed list of eleven narrowed categories. The documents produced this evening were relevant to just the second category. Without claiming executive privilege, the White House also disclosed for the second time that they are withholding some documents that are responsive to the committee's request. The committee has given the White House a February 21, 2012, deadline to turn over all Solyndra related documents.   Read More >

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Economist ran a series of articles this week about the overregulation of America. The articles paint a grim picture of the red and green tape that is strangling our economic growth and imposing a massive collective burden on American business and consumers. The authors suggest America is in desperate need of a regulatory reform and argue federal agencies need be held more accountable for the costs of proposed regulations.   Read More >

Friday, February 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), and other members of the Energy & Commerce Committee today sent a bipartisan letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson urging the agency to defend EPA’s legal discretion to revise certain regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), particularly regulations regarding the disposal of coal ash. Earthjustice and other environmental groups recently notified EPA of their intent to sue over the agency’s failure to perform alleged “nondiscretionary duties under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.”   Read More >

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Obama administration has claimed endorsements from religious organizations to convince the public that their “accommodation” for conscience rights restores religious liberties that are threatened by HHS’ health care mandate. The only problem is, many of these organizations remain opposed to this threat to their First Amendment protections, and they have issued statements making clear that the administration’s latest action is still “unacceptable” and “any representation to the contrary is false.”   Read More >

Friday, February 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) recently outlined a 2012 agenda for his subcommittee that includes protecting jobs and the economy, increasing access to affordable American energy, and conducting oversight of the Obama administration.   Read More >

Friday, February 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Greg Walden (R-OR) today made the following statements on the House floor in support of the Conference Report to H.R. 3630, which the House approved by a vote of 293 to 132:   Read More >