 Murkowski Resolution Defeated
June 14 - In the most important vote on climate and energy so far this year, the Senate on June 10 rejected Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski's bid to block the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. By a margin of 53 to 47, the Senate turned down Sen. Murkowski's "resolution of disapproval" to nullify the EPA's scientific finding last December that emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare.
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- The New York Times: Where's the Senate on Climate Change? (June 10, 2010)
- The Washington Post: Move to curb EPA action on emissions is premature (June 10, 2010)
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: EPA Doesn't Need This (June 10, 2010)
- Huffington Post: Senate Put Aside partisan Politics, Protect The american People (June 9, 2010)
- Richmond Times: Overturn EPA? No; Legislation Gives Polluters a Free Pass (June 9, 2010)
- New York Times: The Climate Majority (June 8, 2010)
- Bangor Daily News: Climate Leadership Needed (June 9, 2010)
- The Washington Post: With Friends Like Lisa Murkowski, The Climate Doesn't Need Enemies (June 7, 2010)
- Philly Daily News: Congress May Mandate Dirtier Air (June 7, 2010)
- Sacramento Bee: As Spill Spreads Congress Weighs Bill to Boost consumption of Oil (June 6, 2010)
- New York Times: The Spill and Energy Bill (June 4, 2010)
- Roll Call: Murkowski Resolution Would Leave The Greenhouse Gusher Uncapped (June 3, 2010)
- Star Ledger: Gulf Disaster, It's Time For this Junkie Nation to End it's Oil Addiction (May 28, 2010)
- Denver Post: EPA accusation not true (May 12, 2010)
- Columbus Dispatch: Legislators must save Clean Air Act (May 10, 2010)
- Akron Beacon Journal: Hedge against the heat (April 22, 2010)
- Harvard Crimson: The Obama administration can fight climate change using existing legislation (April 7, 2010)
- Sacramento Bee: President Obama's energy strategy (April 2, 2010)
- New York Times: Everybody wins (April 2, 2010)
- Poder 360: Don’t Let Lawmakers Undermine the Clean Air Act (March 15, 2010)
- New York Times: Something worse than inaction (March 13, 2010)
- Pocono Record: Amendment Threatens Public Health (February 21, 2010)
- Bangor Daily News: Emissions backtrack (February 10, 2010)
- New Jersey Newsroom: Murkowski's 'Dirty Air Act' threatens environment, public health (February 2, 2010)
- St. Louis Today: If Congress Can't Lead it Should Get Out Of the Way (January 26, 2010)
- Seattle Times: Muzzle Murkowski, let the EPA do its job (January 25, 2010)
- Boulder Daily Camera: The Clean Air Act: Don`t weaken environmental progress (January 20, 2010)
- Washington Post: Avoiding a trap on climate change (January 20, 2010)
- Nashua Telegraph: Senate amendment puts Clean Air Act at risk (January 19, 2010)
- New York Times: Ms. Murkowski's mischief (January 19, 2010)
- Daily Camera: The Clean Air Act (January 19, 2010)
- Columbia Missourian: Let the EPA enforce the Clean Air Act (January 13, 2010)
- The Times Record: Early skirmish on climate bill? (January 12, 2010)
- Anchorage Daily News: Needless battle Instead of tangling with EPA, Senator should lead the way (December 17, 2009)
- Anchorage Daily News: Our view: Murkowski vs. EPA (September 29, 2009)
- New York Times: The Climate Improves (September 25, 2009)
Background
In April, the Obama administration relied on the "endangerment finding" as the scientific basis for significantly increasing fuel mileage and emission standards for light vehicles, which the EPA said would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil and 900 million tons of carbon emission from 2012 to 2016.
Senator Murkowski's measure, which attracted six Democrats to vote with the united Republican bloc, faced a difficult road to passage in a Congress controlled by Democrats and a Democratic president who promised a veto if the resolution reached his desk. Nevertheless, the vote was seen as a test of the Senate's will to take up comprehensive legislation this year to respond to climate change and the nation's increasingly perilous addiction to fossil fuels.
Connecticut Independent Senator Joe Lieberman, who is co-sponsoring a climate and energy bill with Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry, Click on the 'Statements' tab to view USCAN member press statements reacting to the Murkowski resolution outcome.said before the vote that he was hopeful that the resolution's failure will "give us a little momentum" towards passing comprehensive climate and energy legislation. In his first Oval Office address to the nation last month President Obama laid out the Administration's response to the Gulf oil disaster and attempted to urge the Senate to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation. The Senate continues to decide their course of action as the legislative calendar grows short and crude continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, the site of the worst oil catastrophe in the nation's history.
Click on the 'Statements' tab to view USCAN member press statements reacting to the Murkowski resolution outcome.
Other feature articles on the Dirty Air Act:
Dirty Air Act Vote Tests Senate’s Direction on Climate, Clean Energy Additional Background:
On January 21 Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) introduced a resolution to limit action on climate change by blocking the EPA's ability under the Clean Air Act to limit emissions from big polluters. Senator Rockefeller has also introduced a bill that would similarly delay EPA acting to reduce global warming pollution for at least two years. Senator Murkowski's damaging resolution was surely defeated in a 53-47 vote on June 10, 2010.
In the House, Rep. Moran (R-KS) and Rep. Blackburn (R-TN) have introduced a resolution to rescind the EPA ruling that greenhouse gases present a danger to public health and welfare. Rep. Pomeroy (D-NC) and others have introduced comparable bills and resolutions that would amend the Clean Air Act to achieve similar effects. Congress should continue to oppose any effort to overturn or delay the Administration's ability to use the Clean Air Act to reduce global warming pollution and hold big polluters accountable.
The Environmental Protection Agency is finally enforcing the Clean Air Act and as a result, we're on the way to building cars and trucks that get better gas mileage. Additionally, the Clean Air Act will also ensure that the largest power plants and factories use modern technology to reduce global warming pollution and use cleaner energy. If these efforts to limit the Clean Air Act are successful it could severely cripple efforts to move to a clean energy economy while letting America’s biggest polluters off the hook.
We need to communicate the importance of moving forward now to reduce global warming pollution that endangers public health. Ultimately, the Senate must enact clean energy and global warming legislation that generates new jobs, reduces pollution, boosts investment in renewable energy and efficiency, and strengthens national security. Many organizations have taken a stance against the Dirty Air Act; now is the moment to act. Use the talking points under the Member Only tab and the other resources above to make your voice heard.
 Rockefeller Bill
S. 3072, a bill sponsored by Senator Rockefeller, would block any work by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Air Act to set any standards to curb global warming pollution from power plants and other industrial sources for at least two years. In addition, the bill would prohibit EPA from conducting research and information collection on what emission reduction technologies are available and at what cost.
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 House Attacks on Clean Air Act
A total of seven different measures have been introduced in the House to roll back the Clean Air Act and block the law from being used to tackle global warming. All but one of these measures would dismantle President Obama’s clean vehicles initiatives -- and all of the bills would block new, just-finalized global warming pollution permitting standards for large smokestack industries.
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- APPA response to House Energy and Commerce committee (3/3/2010)
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 Senate Climate Bill Attacks on Clean Air Act
Climate bills currently being considered in the Senate may strip the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, as well as preempt states' authority to set tougher emissions standards than the federal government. It is essential that any climate bill does not prevent state and federal agencies from enforcing emissions reductions necessary to help curb climate change.
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