Washington Watch - 8/10/15

Statement

EPA RULE WILL INCREASE ELECTRICITY PRICES

Last Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency released its Clean Power Plan -- a historic regulation requiring states to implement plans that will cut carbon emissions from power plants by 32% nationwide below 2005 levels by the year 2030. This is an enormous emissions cut, and one that will cost Georgians billions. Georgia will have to cut its emissions by 25%, and with coal providing over two-thirds of Georgia's electricity, replacing cheap coal with more expensive renewables or natural gas is going to increase electricity rates for all Georgians.

What's more, this EPA regulation is seemingly just another piece of President Obama's "go it alone" puzzle. Instead of working with Congress to craft clean air rules, the President has decided to use the regulatory process -- in a manner that has never been used before -- to do what he cannot get done through legislation. That is simply not the proper way to govern. We can, we should, and we will be wonderful stewards of our environment, but this heavy handed, unilateral EPA approach is not the right way to go.

The good news is that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a bill last Wednesday to block the Obama Administration's electricity price increase plan. I hope that this bill can pass the full Senate soon. I look forward to supporting it when it comes to the House for a vote.

GEORGIANS WORKING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT OUR LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY

Last week I partnered with Georgia's Senators and a bipartisan group of our state's House delegation in requesting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) take a more nuanced look at its proposed rule regarding the safety of animal and pet food production. The proposed rule represents one of the largest expansions in federal food safety authority in our nation's history, and for businesses in the Seventh District in the animal feed industry, such as Anitox in Lawrenceville, the regulations mean a variety of new requirements will be placed on them for the first time ever. I absolutely want our nation's food supply to be safe--both animal and human food--but these new regulations should appreciate the distinction between the two and should also avoid being burdensome to the point that the average business does not have the time or resources to comply. The Georgia delegation joined forces to send this strong message to the FDA, and I remain hopeful that it will listen.

PROTECTING AMERICANS FROM BIASED BUREAUCRATS

I have talked with many of you over the past few months about the perils of the Waters of the U.S. rule and how it could negatively impact Georgia. What you might not know is that during the process for writing a rule, federal agencies, like the EPA, solicit public comments about the substance of the rule. This is good public policy. After all, before we finalize a new rule or regulation, it makes sense to find out whether the American public supports or opposes the rule. Unfortunately, there is evidence suggesting that during the comment period on the Waters of the U.S. rule, the EPA was working closely with special interest groups like the Sierra Club and the Obama Administration-affiliated Organizing for Action, to drive a grassroots campaign specifically tailored to stuff the ballot box in favor of the proposed rule. And this evidence isn't coming from a right-wing blog; it's coming straight from the New York Times.

If the EPA did indeed use taxpayer dollars to collude with radical environmental lobbyists to skew the results of the comment period, that would be against federal law. Getting to the bottom of this issue is important so that Americans can have the trust in their government that they demand and deserve. That is why I joined dozens of my colleagues in requesting that the EPA's independent Inspector General conduct a full investigation into these allegations.

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL UPDATEIRAN NUCLEAR DEAL UPDATE

Last week the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was in Washington to brief members of the U.S. Senate on the steps that the IAEA will be taking to investigate and monitor Iran's nuclear ambitions. Unfortunately, the IAEA was unwilling to discuss any details of the Agency's "side deals" with Iran. As such, we are still in the dark about whether IAEA inspectors will be allowed to visit some of Iran's most suspicious nuclear sites. While I appreciate that the IAEA needs to ensure the confidentiality of its agreements, it is concerning that Senators could not even been told if IAEA inspectors would be allowed to visit one of Iran's military sites that is highly suspected to have been part of its current nuclear program. The Iran deal -- according to President Obama -- is "not built on trust, but verification." Without any assurances from the IAEA that the "verification" component is going to be strong, I am concerned that we can't trust the deal at all.

Last week the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was in Washington to brief members of the U.S. Senate on the steps that the IAEA will be taking to investigate and monitor Iran's nuclear ambitions. Unfortunately, the IAEA was unwilling to discuss any details of the Agency's "side deals" with Iran. As such, we are still in the dark about whether IAEA inspectors will be allowed to visit some of Iran's most suspicious nuclear sites. While I appreciate that the IAEA needs to ensure the confidentiality of its agreements, it is concerning that Senators could not even been told if IAEA inspectors would be allowed to visit one of Iran's military sites that is highly suspected to have been part of its current nuclear program. The Iran deal -- according to President Obama -- is "not built on trust, but verification." Without any assurances from the IAEA that the "verification" component is going to be strong, I am concerned that we can't trust the deal at all.

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