Globalwarming.org: House Passes REINS Act with Anti-Carbon Tax Amendment
The House voted on an amendment offered by Representative Steve Scalise (R-La.) that would require congressional approval before the executive branch could implement a tax on carbon dioxide emissions using regulatory authority. That amendment was adopted by a vote of 237 to 176. Again, 225 Republicans voted Yes. They were joined by twelve Democrats.
The vote does put Members on the record on a carbon tax. The vote reveals that 176 Democratic Members of the House are not opposed to raising taxes. That vote could play a role in some districts in the 2014 congressional elections. A number of House Democrats lost their seats in 2010 because they had voted for the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill.
Globalwarming.org: Chart: EPA Regulatory Takeovers of State Programs up 2,750% Since 2009
Under both the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, the EPA has the authority to “disapprove” a state’s strategy to meet national environmental standards. A regulatory disapproval is no small matter as state officials spend countless hours and taxpayer resources crafting plans to comply with a newly finalized EPA regulation. When the EPA issues a regulatory disapproval, the agency effectively throws all of this work out the window. Since President Obama took office, the number of regulatory disapprovals has skyrocketed. > Read more
Openmarket.org: The Misleading Push for the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Last year, the Senate did not ratify the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with supporters falling just short of the two-thirds vote needed for ratification of a treaty. Supporters used misleading arguments to press for the treaty’s adoption. This year, they will try again to ratify the treaty, since changes in the composition of the Senate due to the 2012 election have increased its chances of passage. Deceptive arguments for the treaty continue. > Read more
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