Shutdown Wars Return? GOP Senators Want To Block Obama's Climate Rules

SAHIL KAPUR – JUNE 18, 2014, 6:00 AM EDT

If early Republican enthusiasm is any indication, the upcoming Sept. 30 deadline to keep the federal government open could turn into an all-out war over President Barack Obama's executive actions to combat climate change.

As TPM reported earlier this week, senior House Republicans are considering using appropriations legislation to block the Environmental Protection Agency's new restrictions on coal-fired power plants, aimed at cutting climate-warming pollution by 30 percent by 2030.

On Tuesday, numerous Senate Republicans expressed strong support for the idea.

"I think there's going to be a lot of support on our side for trying to block that. And I hope with some Democrats too," Senate Republican Conference Chair John Thune (R-SD) told TPM. "The power of the purse is one power Congress has, and if you want to send a clear message to the administration about a series of regulations that you think are very detrimental, one way to do that would be through the appropriations process."

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