Jim Inhofe | Be a Seed for Change

Republicans have launched an unprecedented budget assault on clean air and public health protections — and Senate Democrats have two weeks to stop it.

The House Republicans’ Continuing Resolution spending bill slashes this year’s remaining EPA budget by almost 60%, and contains numerous amendments that hamstring the Clean Air Act, block the EPA from limiting greenhouse gas emissions for any reason, eliminate funding for climate science and climate pollution monitoring, and make it easier for coal plants to dump certain toxic wastes into lakes and rivers. And the list of radical amendments to defund the EPA Just. Keeps. Going.1

http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=7259&id=17506-2591629-Ehd1dhx&t=9

The passage of a temporary spending bill on Wednesday keeps the government funded through March 18th and gives the Senate more time to take a stand against Republican attempts to hold EPA and Clean Air Act funding hostage with threats of forcing a shutdown.

Sadly, the Obama administration is already caving on a number of Republican budget demands.2 So it’s essential that Senate Democrats oppose this budget attack, draw a line in the sand, and filibuster any bill that blocks funding for the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act.

There are just enough votes to do it. Barely. Strong EPA supporters — especially strong Clean Air Act supporters — are in a minority in the Senate. But if all of our environmental champions stand strong, and we pressure a few of the more tentative supporters to join them, we can protect the Clean Air Act’s ability to limit carbon pollution, and stop the draconian cuts to EPA funding.

http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=7259&id=17506-2591629-Ehd1dhx&t=10

Republicans claim these cuts are about reducing the deficit. If they actually believe that, then Republicans are telling us that they are incapable of achieving deficit reductions without endangering the lives of millions of Americans.

If its funding continues, the Clean Air Act will save 4.2 million lives, and prevent 43 million cases of Asthma from 1990 to 2020. These health benefits, and avoiding costs that would otherwise be passed onto citizens and the government, makes the Clean Air Act one of our most cost effective pieces of legislation, saving us 30 times more than it costs to implement.3

Americans know this. Numerous recent polls show that overwhelming majorities of the public support tighter Clean Air Act limits on carbon pollution, and explicitly oppose Republican attacks on the EPA.4

Of course, these cuts aren’t about our deficit, or the will of the people. At all. They are about handcuffing the EPA, and pushing the legislative agenda of big polluters like the Koch brothers, the Chamber of Commerce, and other oil, gas and coal giants who were able to spend unlimited funds to elect the most polluter-friendly congress in history, and are now spending millions on lobbying to preserve their ability to freely pollute our nation and avoid the massive public health costs they pass on to us. (“You’re welcome. Love, polluters.”)

The Continuing Resolution budget battle is just the first of these attacks on the Clean Air Act. There will be more. On Thursday, Rep. Fred Upton and Sen. Jim Inhofe introduced a bill to permanently block the Clean Air Act from regulating climate pollution. It is co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller has cosponsored legislation to delay the Clean Air Act’s climate limits for two years — that bill has six Democratic co-sponsors.

This battle may be won or lost in the Senate. And with few if any votes to spare, supportive Senators must make clear right now that they will oppose this attack on EPA funding, and filibuster all future attempts to gut the Clean Air Act.

http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=7259&id=17506-2591629-Ehd1dhx&t=11

Thank you for fighting the Republicans’ radical anti-environmental agenda.

Elijah Zarlin, Campaign Manager

CREDO Action from Working Assets

For more than 40 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has used the Clean Air Act to save lives, protect human health, and safeguard our environment.

But now, this critical piece of legislation is under attack, as is the very science upon which it is based.

“I have said many times, and there was a report a couple of weeks ago that in fact you look at this last year, it was the warmest year in the last decade, I think was the numbers that came out. I don’t – I accept that. I do not say that it is man-made.”

— Representative Fred Upton (R-MI)

This is part of a well-coordinated, well-funded war on science—backed by opponents looking out for their own interests in an effort to obstruct progress on important environmental and human health protections.

We need your help. Please urge your representative to stand up for science and the health of our families by opposing efforts to undermine the Clean Air Act.

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/big_picture_solutions/clean-air-act.html

The Clean Air Act was created to regulate dangerous pollutants and to implement a science-based method for the EPA to identify and address new threats to human health. In 2009, after conducting an exhaustive scientific review, the EPA concluded that global warming emissions threaten public health and welfare.

We cannot allow our elected officials to senselessly reject the EPA’s scientific assessment that global warming emissions endanger the public. Nor can we allow them to roll back the hard-fought human health and environmental protections we’ve won in the last few years! Please take action today.

Amidst the inflammatory rhetoric of media personalities and polarizing politics found in our national and state capitols these days, it’s becoming harder and harder to find leaders who are willing to stand up for science and for practical solutions to America’s energy and climate challenges.

Please urge your representative to say no to this attack on science and human health by supporting efforts to protect the EPA’s authority to reduce global warming emissions.

Sincerely,

Kate Abend

National Field Organizer

UCS Climate and Energy Program