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Upton is the incoming Republican Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. His commentary was co-authored with Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity. Here is a selection:
On Jan. 2, the Environmental Protection Agency will officially begin regulating the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. This move represents an unconstitutional power grab that will kill millions of jobs—unless Congress steps in….
The best solution is for Congress to overturn the EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas regulations outright. If Democrats refuse to join Republicans in doing so, then they should at least join a sensible bipartisan compromise to mandate that the EPA delay its regulations until the courts complete their examination of the agency’s endangerment finding and proposed rules.
Like me, Upton and Phillips are not buying the argument that carbon dioxide is a problem. They write:
This presumes that carbon is a problem in need of regulation. We are not convinced.
Their main argument is the harm that carbon regulation will do to the American consumer:
The day after the recent midterm elections, President Obama was asked about the voters’ repudiation of cap and trade. He responded: “Cap and trade was just one way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way. It was a means, not an end.”
Cuts in carbon emissions would mean significantly higher electricity prices. We think the American consumer would prefer not to be skinned by Obama’s EPA.
But the harm to the American manufacturer will be much more monumental, especially since Obama gave China a pass in the Copenhagen Accord to freely emit carbon dioxide without any outside accountability.
Upton and Phillip’s commentary was the first shot in a battle on carbon regulation that will likely heat up soon. The EPA promised in agreements to lay out new standards for power plants by July 26, 2011 and new standards for oil refineries by December 10, 2011. These standards will raise the costs of electricity and gasoline for American households and businesses.