U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Kristina Baum - 202.224.6176
Donelle Harder - 202.224.1282
INHOFE INTRODUCES AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BUDGET RESOLUTION
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, introduced the following amendments late yesterday to the Senate Budget Resolution for fiscal year 2016:
Endangered Species Act
Amendment #497 would prevent federal agencies from overriding efforts by states to conserve species. Cosponsors of the amendment include Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas). The amendment allows states to address the issue of species conservation and to tailor efforts to meet the needs of each individual state as it relates to fulfilling voluntary conservation plans.
"In Oklahoma, my state joined 4 others to develop an enforceable and local conservation project to protect the lesser prairie chicken from a listing under the Endangered Species Act. Yet, the U.S.F.W.S. (FWS) still imposed a federal listing needlessly in March 2014. Politically driven decisions like what took place with the lesser prairie chicken discourages states, business leaders, and local landowners from spending years of work and millions of dollars in investments developing their own local conservation plans. My amendment would ensure those that know and understand their land have a strong role in local conservation efforts and that their efforts cannot be overridden by federal agencies," Inhofe said.
Energy
Amendment #494 would prevent the U.S. from joining any international arrangement on greenhouse gas emissions that would preclude developing countries from using fossil fuels for development and economic growth.
"It's clear that the president is willing to do whatever it takes to move his climate agenda forward, even when it prevents developing countries from rising up out of economically depressed conditions and raising the standard of living. In Africa manufacturing facilities experience outages 56 days per year, according to the World Bank, but in the U.S. our reliability hovers at nearly 100 percent. As the only U.S. Senator to make in excess of 130 visits to the continent of Africa, I want Africa to experience the hallmarks of America's economic power that has been built off of our affordable, reliable electricity grid. Historically, the U.S. has been a leader in opening doors for impoverished economies to become self-sustaining by promoting access to affordable, reliable electricity. This amendment continues that trend to ensure developing countries have access to all forms of energy - not just the types that fit within the president's climate agenda," Inhofe said.
Amendment #495 would increase domestic energy production by eliminating unnecessary and duplicative federal regulations on American energy producers.
"Despite states safely and effectively leading the way on regulating domestic energy production, the federal government continues to tie industries hands with onerous and unduly burdensome red tape. Given the growing unrest in places like the Middle East and Eastern Europe, our federal government should be incentivizing our domestic producers to access more of our own resources, not trying to stifle production and discourage future investment in the industry. This is why I have introduced an amendment that would increase domestic energy production by cutting unnecessary and duplicative federal regulations on American's energy producers. This would spur economic growth, create well-paying American jobs, and put America on the path towards energy security," Inhofe said.
Regulatory Transparency
Amendment #496 would require increased public transparency in the "sue and settle" practices of executive branch agencies.
"Currently, the public has little access to information of what new regulations are being committed to by federal agencies during closed-door litigation settlements. While E.P.A. has only recently begun to post on its website copies of the Notices of Intent to sue and the filed lawsuits, agencies rarely post up-to-date copies of any litigation settlements or information about current rule-making deadlines that may result from these lawsuits. Americans deserve a systematic way in which the general public can easily track in real time the regulations that agencies are agreeing to as part of litigation settlements, as well as any up-to-date deadlines for when the rules will issued. My amendment would enforce public transparency among federal agencies and shed light on the use of sue and settle practices to develop and propose regulations," Inhofe said.
