Obama's EPA Regs Destroying Economy & Depriving Citizens of Necessities

This Issue Is As Important As The Debt Ceiling & Is Getting No Media Attention

Below is a E-Newsletter sent out by US Senator Roger Wicker that gives some background on this issue and a letter to the editor on the subject of depriving Citizens of Necessities.

Roger Wicker
US Senator For The State Of Mississippi
E – Newsletter

EPA’s Attempt to Side-Step Congress
Since President Obama took office, the federal government has expanded at an alarming rate. The failed stimulus and Obamacare are two prime examples, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also been at the forefront of this effort. The EPA’s proposed policies could lead to higher energy and food costs for all Americans and stifle economic opportunity at a time when we should be promoting job creation.

Preventing a New Energy Tax
During the last Congress, environmentalists proposed a tax on carbon known as cap and trade to force Americans to use less energy. Because electricity rates would have soared, I helped block efforts to impose this tax. Now, the EPA wants to expand existing regulations and create new barriers for domestic energy through administrative rules that would side-step Congressional action. These rules amount to a backdoor cap and trade scheme.

Higher electricity rates impact families and businesses alike. These costs would put U.S. workers at a disadvantage to our overseas competitors who are not subjected to the same energy costs and government regulations. The level of federal overreach by the EPA is unprecedented in scope and takes no consideration of how these newly imposed requirements will impact jobs and the American economy.

Clean Water Act Abuse
In addition to energy oversight, the EPA is also seeking greater jurisdiction over waterways around the country. The agency wants to classify small waterways and drainage ditches on farmland as “navigable waters,” so it could regulate them. I recently joined other Senators in writing to the EPA Administrator questioning the agency’s new interpretation of the Clean Water Act. This change, we wrote, “will significantly expand federal control of private lands.” This unnecessary expansion takes power away from states and could lead to an increase in litigation for families and businesses.

Other Attempts at Overreach
The EPA has also threatened to begin regulating dust generated by farming. Farmers and ranchers would be forced to limit the effect of dust created by their agricultural production, and communities could be required to pave or treat dirt roads. Mississippi’s farmers are already struggling with rising prices for fuel, feed, and fertilizer. Unnecessary EPA regulations threaten to send costs even higher. [See Documentation and quotes on the attack on farmers below]

Unfortunately, the EPA is not the only part of the Obama Administration promoting more government involvement. The President’s nominee for Commerce Secretary, John Bryson, has advocated the national cap and trade energy tax and larger federal role for industries. The primary mission of the Commerce Department is to create jobs, but Mr. Bryson’s ideas could have the opposite effect by adding burdensome red tape in this already fragile economy.

Limiting the Administration
To help stop this overreach, I have co-sponsored the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which would require Congress and the President to approve all new major rules before they can be enforced. Major rules would be those that have an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. Last year, 100 such rules were finalized by the Executive Branch without Congressional oversight. Preventing unnecessary and burdensome regulations from going into effect is an important start to reining in the EPA and the rest of the Administration. I will continue to oppose the dramatic expansion of power for the Executive Branch and work to repeal much of what has already been imposed. (End of Wicker's E-Newsletter)

Obama's EPA Regulations based on Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development are destroying businesses and depriving citizens of necessities across the nation. Unfortunately the Debt Ceiling debate was providing cover while some of these regulations were being implemented. Below is a letter to the editor I wrote that was published August 3 in the Democrat Gazette (but with key elements of the letter I sent in omitted) that is typical of numerous regulations. It is not enough that our government is taking a major food staple, corn, and converting it into an alternate fuel , and exploiting us with skyrocketing electricity prices - both of which increase the price of groceries exponentially; but now they are going to starve us through directly regulating agriculture.

Letter to Editor
Two headlines recently caught my attention: "Hundreds endure heat for help in paying electricity bills" and "EPA tells coal-fired plants: Reduce pollution or shut down." While thousands across the nation are suffering triple digit degree weather, many with utility bills already shut off; Obama is busy increasing the price of electricity.

American Electric Company in Ohio reported: "Because of the unrealistic compliance timelines in the EPA proposals, we will have to prematurely shut down nearly 25 percent of our current coal-fueled generating capacity cut hundreds of good power plant jobs [600 with annual wages totaling approximately $40 million], and invest billions of dollars [$6 to $8 billion] in capital to retire, retrofit and replace coal-fueled power plants…said Michael G. Morris, AEP chairman."

Remember Obama said, "Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket." Obama is governing by the motto "Never waste a crisis." Higher electricity prices are a hidden tax that promote Obama's plan of redistribution of wealth since some of us will pay for our own higher electricity bills while also paying taxes to pay for those who can't afford them.

Hillary Clinton said in 2009 (on You Tube) at the European Parliament: "I'm actually excited by this opportunity [the economic crisis] . but the chief of staff for President Obama is an old friend of mine …he said, you know, never waste a good crisis, and when it comes to the economic crisis don't waste it when it can have a very positive impact on climate change and energy security."

And the Democrats claim to be the party of the poor. Debbie Pelley

For Documentation and Quotes on the EPA's attack on farmers see this link: http://www.wpaag.org/EPA%20Regulations%20Destroying%20the%20Economcy.htm or see the other post above.