From AAIA Capital Report

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced a resolution on Jan. 21 calling on the U.S. Senate to remove the authority for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Utilizing authority provided under the Congressional Review Act, the senator is seeking to nullify the EPA's recent finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. The bill has 38 co-sponsors, including three Democrats: Sens. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Mary Landrieu (La.).

"Our bipartisan resolution deals with an incredibly important question: whether or not members of this body are comfortable with the actions EPA will take under its current interpretation of the Clean Air Act. I'm not comfortable with those actions, and neither are the senators who have already agreed to add their names to this effort," Murkowski said upon introduction of her resolution. "The Clean Air Act was written by Congress to regulate criteria pollutants, not greenhouse gases, and its implementation remains subject to oversight and guidance from elected representatives. We should continue our work to pass meaningful energy and climate legislation, but in the meantime, we cannot turn a blind eye to EPA's efforts to impose back-door climate regulations with no input from Congress."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is working with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), on a compromise climate change bill, stated that he supports pre-empting EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, but would prefer that the action be part of broader climate change legislation. 

Under the Congressional Review Act, Sen. Murkowski's resolution is not subject to amendment or filibuster on the Senate floor and would only require a 51-vote majority. Also, the act permits the senator to bypass the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and go straight to the floor with the support of 30 senators.