CEI Today: Dodd-Frank, EPA Utility MACT, sperm donation, and more

SEN. ALEXANDER & UTILITY MACT - WILLIAM YEATMAN

Globalwarming.org:  Sen. Lamar Alexander’s Payoff

In mid-June, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) led the opposition against S. J. Res. 37, legislation that would have blocked EPA’s all pain, no gain Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) regulation.

Last week, however, the mystery of Sen. Alexander’s support for the Utility MACT appears to have been solved. The Environmental Defense Action Fund announced on Tuesday that it will spend $200,000 on television advertisements in Tennessee thanking Senator Lamar Alexander for “protecting the children.”

>Interview William Yeatman

 

DODD-FRANK HEARING Tuesday, July 10: The Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises will hold a hearing on the impact the Dodd-Frank Act is having on job creators, credit and financial institution customers.  The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in room 2128 Rayburn House Office Building. > Read about CEI's lawsuit challenging Dodd-Frank at cei.org/doddfrank   > Interview John Berlau about Dodd-Frank

FDA & SPERM DONATION - NICOLE CIANDELLA OpenMarket.org: Woman Sues FDA Over Sperm Donation Rules True or False: In the United States, a couple who wants to have a baby must first go through expensive testing of the male partner’s sperm, in accordance with FDA regulations. The answer is: It’s complicated. If an adult woman is trying to get pregnant the old fashioned way, she’s free to procreate with whomever she likes (as long as her paramour is above the age of consent). But if a woman asks a male acquaintance to be a sperm donor, FDA rules stipulate that her chosen sperm donor must undergo a physical exam and testing within a week before the donation. > Read the full commentary on Openmarket.org >Interview Nicole Ciandella

Also featuring... Video: Update on Fight against EPA’s Regional Haze Power Grab Why politicians answer to unions More Evidence Of A Higher Education Bubble: Even Scientists Can’t Find Jobs In Their Field CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week in Regulation

You're invited! JULY 19 EVENT Risky Science at the EPA: Exploring Alternatives for EPA Risk Assessment A Roundtable Discussion Sponsored by The Competitive Enterprise Institute Featured Speaker: Nandan Kenkeremath, former Senior Counsel, House Energy and Commerce Committee Kenkeremath will launch the discussion with a presentation on how EPA can improve the scientific basis of its risk assessment process by incorporating a wider range of probabilities, weigh-of-evidence measures, and best available science.  July 19, 2012 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Location: The Competitive Enterprise Institute 1899 L Street, N.W., 12th Floor Washington, D.C. 20036 Lunch provided Please RSVP to Angela at alogomasini@cei.org

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.

ConservAmerica Applauds GOP Senators Upholding Clean Air Rule

June 20, 2012
For Immediate Release


ConservAmerica Applauds GOP Senators Voting to Uphold Clean Air Rule

ConservAmerica, a national grassroots organization of conservation-minded Republicans, applauds five Republican senators who voted today to uphold a Clean Air Act rule limiting emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from coal-burning power plants.
 
Senators Lamar Alexander (TN), Kelly Ayotte (NH), Scott Brown (MA), Susan Collins (ME), and Olympia Snowe (ME) were part of a majority that blocked a resolution to overturn the rule.
 
President Ronald Reagan correctly pointed out that the “preservation of our environment is not a partisan challenge; it’s common sense.”
 
“We appreciate Senators Alexander, Ayotte, Brown, Collins, and Snowe for casting principled votes for clean air. Cleaning up pollution that blows across state lines protects the health of American families in downwind states, reduces health care costs, supports jobs, and encourages a diverse mix of energy resources,” David Jenkins, ConservAmerica vice president for government affairs, said.
 
“The five senators are thoughtful conservatives who recognize the value of stewardship and who will not be bullied by out-of-state special interests. We need more like them,” Jenkins added.
 
“All five stood up for the conservative ethic that individuals and companies should take responsibility for their actions. As President Reagan said, laws protecting the environment promote liberty by securing our lives and property against the destructive trespass of pollution,” Rob Sisson, ConservAmerica president, said.
 
“In adopting the mercury rule, EPA was following Congress' direction. The Clean Air Act was both enacted and strengthened with strong Republican support. Senators Alexander, Ayotte, Brown, Collins, and Snowe voting to uphold an important Clean Air Act rule was in keeping with that proud legacy,” Sisson said.

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Jim DiPeso
Policy Director
ConservAmerica

ALG - 5 GOP senators side with radical enviros

June 20, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned 5 Republican Senators for guaranteeing implementation of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation on coal emissions by voting against a resolution by Sen. James Inhofe that would have rescinded it:

"This is a tragic defeat. Enough Democrats voted with the Republicans to defeat the EPA's crippling regulation against the coal industry, but then five GOP senators led by Lamar Alexander provided the margin of victory for the radical environmentalists. If all five had voted with their party, this regulation would have been defeated. Therefore, it is these five Republicans: Alexander, Ayotte, Brown, Collins, and Snowe who are responsible for the higher energy costs that will result from implementation of the EPA's irresponsible war on coal.

"These five senators have undercut the message of job creation and growth being advanced by the Republican Party and its nominees this year.

"The EPA's mercury emission regulations will require power plants be retrofitted with new technologies that cost billions of dollars to implement. Rather than going through that trouble, however, older coal-fired plants are simply being shut down, leading to a drop in demand, which then hurts miners who depend on coal for their livelihoods. These five senators now deserve the blame."

To view online: http://getliberty.org/5-gop-senators-side-with-radical-enviros/

5 Republican Senators who voted against Inhofe resolution: Lamar Alexander (TN), Kelly Ayotte (NH), Scott Brown (MA), Olympia Snowe (ME), and Susan Collins (ME)

Attachments:

ALG calls on Sen. Alexander to drop coal-killing bill, June 18, 2012 at http://getliberty.org/alg-calls-on-sen-alexander-to-drop-coal-killing-bill/

Letter to Sen. Lamar Alexander, June 18, 2012 at http://getliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Letter-Alexander-Coal-6-18-12.pdf

Inhofe resolution overturning EPA regulation against coal mercury emissions vote imminent, June 15, 2012 at http://getliberty.org/inhofe-resolution-overturning-epa-regulation-against-coal-mercury-emissions-vote-imminent/

"The Myth of Killer Mercury," By Willie Soon and Paul Driesson, Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2011 at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703421204576329420414284558.html

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Americans for Limited Government is a non-partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free market reforms, private property rights and core American liberties. For more information on ALG please call us at 703-383-0880 or visit our website at www.GetLiberty.org.

CEI Today: Senate 46-53 on Utility MACT, RAISE Act vote upcoming, and a look at the Greek elections

UTILITY MACT VOTE FAILS IN SENATE, 46-53 - MARLO LEWIS

Nationaljournal.com: Nix the U-MACT

The U-MACT Rule would have zero chance of passing were its mandates introduced as legislation and put to a vote. The Rule effectively bans new coal generation – again, a policy Congress would reject if proposed in legislation. Along with other EPA regulations, U-MACT will make energy more costly, make electricity prices more volatile, jeopardize electric supply reliability, and reduce GDP growth and job creation. The alarms over mercury and PM2.5 that EPA and others use to promote the Rule are unscientific hype. Because households generally use income to enhance their well-being, regulations with large net costs are likely to have a negative impact on public health.  > Read the full commentary on Nationaljournal.com

> Interview Marlo Lewis

See also:
EPA’s Phony Job Numbers

Why Sen. Alexander Is Wrong about the Utility MACT

 

RUBIO'S RAISE ACT - F. VINCENT VERNUCCIO CEI.org: CEI to Score Amendment to Farm Bill This week, the Senate is expected to vote on Amendment No. 2166 to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act (S.3240), better known as the Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act (RAISE) Act.  The Amendment is sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). CEI labor policy analysts will score the Senate vote on the Rubio Amendment and incorporate the scores into CEI’s Congressional Labor Policy Scorecard, which is maintained and updated on WorkplaceChoice.org. The scorecard reflects Members’ voting records on all significant matters of worker rights. Currently, union workers’ wages are dictated by collective bargaining agreements made between a union and an employer. Collective bargaining agreements not only create a floor for worker’s wages, they also establish a ceiling. The vast majority of these agreements grant pay increases on seniority, not merit. In other words, unionized employees can only see an increase in their salary through longevity—no matter how productive they are and how hard they work. The RAISE act would remove the barrier of employers to give their workers pay increases. > Read more on CEI.org >Interview Vincent Vernuccio > Keep up with all labor union news at Workplacechoice.org

VIDEO: Iain Murray Discusses Greek Elections on GBTV > Interview Iain Murray

Also featuring... PATTERSON: Banking on green energy - Bailed-out BOA returns favor to Uncle Sam’s renewables Support Rep. Diane Black’s MTI to Halt Misguided Federal Support for “Distracted Driving” Laws Read Washington Post‘s Sports Section for Great Hit at Justice’s Overreach

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.

CEI Today: Congress grills Dimon, plus Senate action on Utility MACT & Rubio RAISE Act

JAMIE DIMON & BILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGGLES - JOHN BERLAU

Foxnews.com: Forget Jamie Dimon -- Congress needs to look in the mirror

“Jamie Dimon gets kid-glove treatment from Senators,” the front-page headline in Politico screamed after the JPMorgan Chase CEO testified and was questioned by the Senate Banking Committee late last week.

Fast forward to this week. Politico's Kate Nocera and other Beltway scolds are warning the House Financial Services Committee not to give Dimon such “kid glove” treatment when he testifies in the other chamber Tuesday.

But the real story from last week's testimony was not the lack of scrutiny for Dimon. There were plenty of tough, but still polite, questions for him. What really made the pro-big government elites foam at the mouth was that, for once, government spending and regulation did not get the kid gloves.

Thanks to questions from South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, and others, who shifted the subject to big-picture topics and flawed government policies such as the Dodd-Frank financial “reform,” the hearing is actually a model for Tuesday's event and for future economic hearings. > Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/19/forget-jamie-dimon-congress-needs-to-look-in-mirror/#ixzz1yK8vlG8G

> Interview John Berlau


 

RUBIO'S RAISE ACT - F. VINCENT VERNUCCIO CEI.org: CEI to Score Amendment to Farm Bill This week, the Senate is expected to vote on Amendment No. 2166 to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act (S.3240), better known as the Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act (RAISE) Act.  The Amendment is sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). CEI labor policy analysts will score the Senate vote on the Rubio Amendment and incorporate the scores into CEI’s Congressional Labor Policy Scorecard, which is maintained and updated on WorkplaceChoice.org. The scorecard reflects Members’ voting records on all significant matters of worker rights. Currently, union workers’ wages are dictated by collective bargaining agreements made between a union and an employer. Collective bargaining agreements not only create a floor for worker’s wages, they also establish a ceiling. The vast majority of these agreements grant pay increases on seniority, not merit. In other words, unionized employees can only see an increase in their salary through longevity—no matter how productive they are and how hard they work. The RAISE act would remove the barrier of employers to give their workers pay increases. > Read more on CEI.org >Interview Vincent Vernuccio > Keep up with all labor union news at Workplacechoice.org

EPA'S UTILITY MACT - MARLO LEWIS Forbes.com: Big Costs, Illusory Benefits: Why Congress Should Nix The Utility MACT The U.S. Senate is expected to vote soon on legislation (S.J.Res.37) sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) to overturn one of the most costly regulations ever adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Known as the Utility MACT Rule, the regulation establishes first-ever maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards for hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions from power plants. Clearly, Congress would not enact the MACT Rule were it introduced as a bill and put to a vote. That should be reason enough for the people’s representatives to overturn the Rule and reclaim their constitutional authority to determine the content and direction of national policy.   > Read the full commentary on Forbes.com > Interview Marlo Lewis

Also featuring... Net Neutrality: Two Concepts of Liberty Budget Crises and the Rule of Teacher Unions Myron Ebell: Obama's team doesn't like mining

WARREN T. BROOKES JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP   CEI's Warren T. Brookes Journalism Fellowship is a one-year fellowship that aims to provide journalists the opportunity to improve their knowledge of free markets principles and limited government through interaction with CEI policy experts.   Previous Warren Brookes Fellows have included Washington Examiner columnist Timothy Carney, Reason magazine science correspondent Ron Bailey, columnist Michelle Malkin, and author James Bovard. The fellowship begins in October, 2012. The deadline for application is July 31.  To apply, send resume or CV along with a cover letter outlining a project plan for the fellowship that relates to CEI's issue areas.  Contact: chall@cei.org. Apply today!

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.