Eighty-four US House Republicans yesterday introduced a bill to nullify the EPA finding late last year that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide represent a threat to human health and therefore should be regulated as pollutants under the clean air act—also known as the “endangerment” finding.
Although this brings the focus back on Republicans as the party that is anti-climate change regulation, there has been a flurry of recent activity to nullify the EPA’s findings from both sides of the aisle, including bills introduced by Democrats and Republicans alike to accomplish essentially the same goal.
If successful, the bill could also derail the amazing consensus recently reached between automakers and the government to raise fuel economy standards and lower vehicle emissions dramatically over the next several years. The auto industry is counting on these new regulations to provide certainty as they plan for the next generation of vehicles.