White House: GOP Shutdown Threat Is All About Protecting 'Big Polluters'

White House: GOP Shutdown Threat Is All About Protecting 'Big Polluters'

by Sahil Kapur

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/white-house-warns-gop-not-to-risk-shutdown-over-climate-rules

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The White House fired a warning shot to Republican senators on Wednesday after several of them expressed interest in using a must-pass government funding bill to block the Obama administration's environmental regulations.

"If Republicans want to repeat their government shutdown play to protect the profits of big polluters, they're placing a pretty risky bet," a White House official, who wasn't authorized to discuss the matter on the record, told TPM.


TPM reported that numerous House and Senate Republicans have expressed interest in using appropriations legislation to prohibit implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations on coal-fired power plants. If they demand that as a condition for keeping the federal government running once funding expires on Sept. 30, it could lead to another partial shutdown.

Senate Republican Conference Chair John Thune (R-SD) said Tuesday there's "going to be a lot of support" among Republicans for using the appropriations process to block the EPA rules. He said the GOP will do "anything we can do to prevent the administration from going forward with what are really poorly timed, very burdensome, very expensive ... regulations."




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