Murkowski throws support behind Rockefeller plan to block EPA

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Thursday threw her support behind Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s (D-W.Va.) bill to block EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from industrial facilities for two years – a plan that’s less sweeping than a proposal Murkowski is pushing.

Rockefeller introduced his legislation today after confirming Tuesday that it was en route this week. It could present a tough political challenge to the White House if it picks up support from substantial numbers of Democrats from coal states and regions with heavy manufacturing bases, such as Ohio and Michigan.

Murkowski – who has 40 cosponsors for her competing plan – supports Rockefeller’s bill but said she’s keeping her own plan at the ready if it doesn’t advance.

“Senator Rockefeller’s legislation is further evidence of the growing, bipartisan, and bicameral resistance to EPA’s back-door climate regulations. Given the overwhelming opposition to these actions, I’m hopeful that this bill will draw additional support and advance quickly,” Murkowski said in a prepared statement.

“If that does not occur, the disapproval resolution is guaranteed consideration in the Senate. It's imperative that senators have an opportunity to vote on whether or not they support EPA's costly, unilateral and unprecedented attempt to impose these command-and-control regulations,” she added.

Murkowski had been seeking support for her “resolution of disapproval” that would overturn EPA’s finding that greenhouse gases threaten humans. The finding is the legal underpinning for EPA climate change rules.

The White House has been emphasizing that her plan would harm automakers by torpedoing pending EPA rules that create a national emissions standard for automobiles. Automakers would prefer a single national standard to a patchwork of state rules.

Rockefeller, a strong ally of coal producers, called his plan an “important action to safeguard jobs, the coal industry, and the entire economy as we move toward clean coal technology.” He said it would provide Congress the time needed to complete work on climate legislation.

“This legislation will issue a two year suspension on EPA regulation of greenhouse gases from stationary sources—giving Congress the time it needs to address an issue as complicated and expansive as our energy future.  Congress, not the EPA, must be the ideal decision-maker on such a challenging issue,” he said.

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) and Reps. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) are introducing a House version, according to Rockefeller’s office.