EPA Disapproval, Oil Spill Politics and Ethanol Technology
Last week, the Senate rejected Lisa Murkowski’s resolution of disapproval against the EPA.
President Obama has refused offers from several European countries to help clean up the oil spill because he would have to waive union-backed laws mandating that American vessels have American crews.
United Ethanol signs an agreement to license GreenShift Corporation’s patented corn oil extraction technology.
1. ENVIRONMENT
Last week, the Senate rejected Lisa Murkowski’s resolution of disapproval against the EPA.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis on why Murkowski has won a political victory, even if she suffered a legislative defeat.
“By denying President Obama bipartisan cover for greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act, Sen. Murkowski has made EPA’s endangerment rule a political liability for Democrats and a political asset for Republicans in an election year. That should increase the pressure on moderate Dems and Republicans alike to distance themselves from Democratic leaders and eschew cap-and-trade, which, like EPA’s regulations, would increase consumer energy prices, killing jobs and growth.”
2. POLITICS
President Obama has refused offers from several European countries to help clean up the oil spill because he would have to waive union-backed laws mandating that American vessels have American crews.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Counsel Hans Bader on why the President’s priorities are skewed.
“Ironically, even the staunchest supporters of the Jones Act are now distancing themselves from refusals to accept foreign help, saying they have ‘not and will not stand in the way of the use of these well-established waiver procedures to address this crisis.’ Obama is being more intransigently pro-union than the unions themselves.”
3. TRADE
United Ethanol signs an agreement to license GreenShift Corporation’s patented corn oil extraction technology.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Research Associate Brian McGraw on why the Congress should end the U.S. tariff on Brazilian ethanol.
“Taxes on imported ethanol force consumers to rely on inefficient and expensive ethanol produced from corn in the United States. These tariffs, in effect, declare war on consumers, raising the price at the pump as well as the price of all goods and services that require transportation to their final point of sale.”
