Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 910, which if approved by the Senate and signed by President Obama would prohibit the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. The bill passed the House with a vote of 255 to 172. Included in the 255 votes for the bill were 19 democrats. While President Obama has vowed to veto the bill if passed by both Houses of Congress, such action could threaten other administration goals, especially since a tenuous budget agreement was just finalized.
Political pundits remain confident that the Senate will vote down the bill; however, a recent measure to delay GHG rules resulted in a 50-50 split of Senators (60 votes were required to pass the amendment). This paired with such strong support in the House could create momentum and sway some Senators.
In a statement released earlier this month The White House explained the need for GHG regulation and formally declared their intent to veto any legislation that would prohibit the EPA from doing so.
“If the President is presented with this legislation, which would … harm Americans’ health by taking away our ability to decrease carbon pollution and undercut fuel efficiency standards … while decreasing our dependence on oil, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill,” the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said in a statement.
No date has been set for the Senate vote, but you can find more information on the House vote and the upcoming Senate vote here, or to read the full statement from The White House click here.