WASHINGTON D.C. – Republicans in Congress move to block President Obama's plan on Tuesday to force steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants.
The House passed two resolutions disapproving the President's power-plant rules in order to render them inoperative. A measure blocking an Environmental Protection Agency rule for existing power plants was approved 242-180, while a measure blocking a rule on future power plants was approved 235-188.The measures now go to the White House, where they face almost-certain vetoes. Just four Democrats sided with Republicans to support the measures, which fell far short of the numbers needed to override a veto in both the House and Senate.
The legislation passed Tuesday would permanently block the heart of the President's climate agenda, but with the President still holding the power of an Executive Veto, Republicans said they feel that sending a strong signal against climate action is important.
President Obama said Tuesday in Paris that he expects the United States will be able to keep its climate commitments even after he leaves the Oval Office in 2017. Obama said it's in the best interest of his successor to keep the U.S.'s promise to cut greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent by 2025, even though the pledge is not binding under domestic or international law. The future President, Obama said, will realize "that American leadership involves not just playing to American constituency back home, but you now are in fact at the center of what happens around the world."
Newswatch's David Miller spoke with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), as she continues to voice her opposition against the proposed rules. Senator Capito introduced the resolution dealing with existing power plants that passed both the House and the Senate. Senator Capito told Newswatch, The President has a weakened position in his climate plan and doesn't have the supports of this country. The United States Senate voted last month passing the two resolutions against the power plant rules. When the Senate voted last month to pass the two resolutions, the White House vowed to veto the bills saying "The need to act and to act quickly, to mitigate climate change impacts on American communities has never been more clear," the White House said in a statement.
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), has also released a statement saying he applauded the House passage of resolutions to overturn the President's clean power plan. Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) said "What the heck? This is all done in the name of climate change. Climate change has happened since God created our Earth." With the decline of coal continuing to impact West Virginia and the families of coal miners the resolutions and the pending Executive Veto will continue to impact the Mountain State.
