House appropriators advance bill slashing EPA funding

[WestVirginiaRebel]

The Hill:

The House GOP on Wednesday advanced a 2013 spending bill with deep cuts and limitations to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The bill cuts EPA by $1.4 billion, about 17 percent, compared to current funding. The GOP points out that this brings the EPA below fiscal 1998 funding.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), who hails from coal country, said he is especially proud of the measure, which was advanced from subcommittee to the full spending panel on a voice vote.

“This represents the strong concerns of this Congress over the EPA’s unprecedented effort to drive certain industries to extinction with a cocktail of burdensome regulations, questionable guidance policies, and arbitrary enforcement measures — all designed to shut down the permitting process for energy exploration and production,” he said.

Overall the 2013 Interior and Environment bill gets $28 billion in funding — a cut of $1.2 billion below 2012 levels.

It contains a number of environmental riders, including one stopping EPA from expanding its ability to regulate “navigable waters” under the Clean Water Act.

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Holding the EPA accountable.

[Valin]

@WestVirginiaRebel

 

Is this a Real Cut, or a cut in the increase of its budget?