CEI’s The Surge: California waivers, IRIS, and more

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Note: This version of The Surge was released to subscribers on February 28, 2025. Some minor edits have been made.

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Welcome to the latest edition of The Surge! In this edition:

– The House passed three CRA resolutions repealing California vehicle waivers
– Will the EPA and Corps finally get WOTUS right?
– EPA may be eliminating the Office of Research and Development

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House passes CRA resolutions repealing EPA’s California waivers

This week, the House passed three Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that repeal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers given to California for its electrification agenda. One of these resolutions rejects EPA’s approval of California’s ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. The votes on the resolutions were bipartisan in nature, with the car ban resolution passing by a vote of 246-164, with 35 Democrats voting in favor of the resolution. Now the Senate needs to pass the CRA resolutions.

Read more

• House moves to stop California ban on gas-powered cars: CEI statement
• Congress needs to repeal the Biden EPA and California attack on gas-powered cars
• Congress can end California’s EV mandates

The EPA and Corps need to get WOTUS right

The EPA and the US Army Corps of Engineers just closed out a comment period seeking feedback on how the agencies should define “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). This is a critical definition because it clarifies what waters are regulated by the federal government under the Clean Water Act. If the agencies act consistently with the recent Supreme Court opinion in Sackett v. EPA and the plurality opinion in Rapanos v. United States, which the Sackett court supported, then we should finally have a proper WOTUS definition. CEI submitted a comment last week on this important issue.

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• CEI Comments on Waters of the United States (WOTUS)

Is this the end of IRIS?

EPA is considering the potential elimination of its Office of Research and Development and with it, the flawed Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program. This provides a chance to improve environmental rules by focusing on actual risks people face, instead of just theoretical dangers that might never occur. Two pending bills in Congress would help ensure this reform is durable by shifting scientific responsibilities to accountable program offices and barring reliance on outdated IRIS values.

Read More

• Time to shut down IRIS – for good

Some real leadership on the Inflation Reduction Act

Leading conservative and libertarian organizations have long been united on an important issue: Congress must dismantle the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) “green” subsidies. Legislators can’t claim they are getting rid of the Green New Deal without taking such action. Unfortunately, a small number of Republicans, not one of whom voted for the IRA, have been trying to defend the IRA subsidies. But there’s some good news. This week, 38 House members sent a letter to Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) calling for the dismantling of the subsidies. These legislators should be commended for their leadership on this critical issue.  

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• SCOOP: 38 GOP lawmakers say not repealing Biden’s green agenda in Trump tax bill is ‘hypocrisy’
• New Coalition Letter on the IRA

Better showerheads coming soon

President Trump is taking another pro-consumer step, this time on showerheads. His April 9^th executive order, Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads, reinstates his 2020 regulatory reform efforts that were derailed during the Biden years. It’s a good start, but the president needs to work with Congress on legislation to provide comprehensive and permanent relief for showerheads as well as other appliances harmed by federal regulations.

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• Trump is right to target showerheads, but he’ll need Congress to finish the job

FEATURING OUR FRIENDS

More Ways Coal Improves the Economy and the Environment, H. Sterling Burnett, Heartland Institute.

Report on the Federal Revenue Impact of Repealing Clean Vehicle Tax Credits, Institute for Energy Research.

Chemtrails or Contrails? Roy W. Spencer, Ph.D., CO2 Coalition.

Renewable Subsidies Are Poisoning the Nation’s Electricity Grid, Mario Loyola, Heritage Foundation.

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