Congressional Roundup
From the Office of Congressman Gary G. Miller

Oct. 7, 2011

This Week in Congress:

Continuing Resolution– On Tuesday, the House approved H.R. 2608, a continuing resolution (CR) to provide short-term appropriated funding for discretionary government operations through November 18, 2011, by a vote of 352-66. H.R. 2608 would provide $1.043 trillion in appropriated funding for government operations, the same funding level required under budget caps contained in the Budget Control Act. This level of funding represents a 1.5% cut from FY 2011. Compared to FY 2010 spending levels ($1.089 trillion), this CR would represent a cut of $46 billion. The bill provides $2.65 billion for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund in Fiscal Year 2012. H.R. 2608 requires the Department of Homeland Security to provide a full accounting of disaster relief funding requirements for FY 2012 no later than 15 days after the legislation’s enactment into law.

Cement Sector Regulatory Relief– On Thursday, the House approved H.R. 2681, the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, by a vote of 262-161. In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule establishing emissions standards for cement manufacturing plants that the agency estimates will cost $2.2 billion to implement. These rules have been referred to as the “Cement MACT rules”. Other estimates however show that the new standards could reach up to $3.4 billion. As a result of these high compliance costs, concerns have been raised that many domestic facilities will be unable to meet the new requirements, putting thousands of jobs at risk. A recent study by the Portland Cement Association concluded that the EPA’s new cement MACT regulations threaten to shut down 18 plants, or 20 percent of the domestic cement industry. According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, increased construction costs resulting from rising cement prices could lead to the loss of 12,000 to 19,000 construction jobs. H.R. 2681 would provide a legislative stay of the MACT rules, and would call on the EPA to re-propose and finalize rules that are technically and economically achievable to prevent plant shut downs and job losses.

Next Week:

EPA Regulatory Relief: Next week, the House will continue consideration of H.R. 2250, the EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011. The bill would provide a legislative stay of four interrelated EPA rules, commonly known as the “Boiler MACT rules” that govern emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from approximately 200,000 boilers and incinerators nationwide. EPA officials have estimated that the capital cost of implementing these rules will be $9.5 billion, but a recent study prepared by IHS Global Insight puts the figure at $20 billion. The precise cost of these stringent rules may still be unknown, but they will undoubtedly impose significant new regulatory costs on employers and small businesses that could lead to factory closures and job losses. A study by the American Forest and Paper Association concluded that the boiler MACT rules put more than 20,000 forest industry jobs at risk – 18 percent of the entire workforce at U.S. pulp and paper mills. H.R. 2250 would alleviate the excessive regulatory burden placed by employers by the EPA’s boiler MACT rules by replacing them with sensible, achievable rules that protect our environment without destroying jobs.

Free Trade Agreements: Also, the House is expected to consider the three long-pending, job-creating free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. These agreements would increase exports, lower the U.S. trade deficit, and stimulate much needed economic growth. The independent U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that implementation of the three pending trade agreements would increase U.S. exports by at least $13 billion and add at least $10 billion to U.S. Gross Domestic Product per year. Passing all three pending trade agreements would directly benefit small and medium-sized businesses and the U.S. jobs they create.

Other Trade Programs: The House is also expected to consider next week H.R. 2832, which would extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA).

Federal Funding of Abortion: The House is also expected to consider H.R. 3258, which would prohibit federal funding for abortion or abortion coverage through any program authorized or appropriated by Obamacare. The bill would also protect the right of conscience for health care professionals by codifying and ensuring that private insurance companies are not mandated to cover abortion. While Congressman Miller supports full repeal of Obamacare, until that happens, he strong supports preventing any federal funds from being used to procure an abortion.

Coal Ash: Also next week, the House is expected to consider the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2011. The EPA has proposed rules to regulate coal combustion residuals (CCR) as hazardous waste, placing excessive uncertainty on the coal ash recycling industry when these materials do not even meet EPA’s own standards for toxicity. This overregulation would destroy jobs in the emerging byproducts industry and a potential 25 percent increase in costs to consumers. The bill would preclude EPA from regulating fly ash waste, bottom ash waste, slag waste, and flue gas emission control waste generated primarily from the combustion of coal or other fossil fuels under Subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.

Also of Note:

Congressman Miller’s October Column — Rep. Miller has published his column for the month of October, entitled “Putting America Back to Work”. To read the column, go to http://www.miller.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=262714

Balanced Budget Amendment

• Over the last 12 months, the federal government spent about $1.3 trillion that it didn’t have. That is three straight years with the three highest deficits in history, all over $1 trillion.
• The monstrous growth of the national debt slows our economy and puts investors and job creators on defense.
• With the national debt close to $14 trillion, we need a Balanced Budget Amendment to put an end to this reckless spending and borrowing that puts a tremendous burden on future generations of Americans.
• Only a balanced budget amendment can force the federal government to cut the credit cards and make Washington learn to live within its means.
• Capping spending at 18% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product would keep spending in line with average revenues.
• A Balanced Budget Amendment will also force Washington to do what families and small businesses across the country do every day.
• 49 states have some form of balanced budget requirement. Why is it that the federal government, with over $14.7 trillion in debt, does not?

Unemployment and the Economy

• 2.5 years of the Obama Administration growing government, increasing spending, and placing new costly new regulations on job creators have made our economy worse, not better.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the unemployment rate for September remained unacceptably high at 9.1 percent.
• Only two of the last 29 months have seen unemployment below 9 percent (in February and March of 2011)
• Prior to President Obama taking office, unemployment had not been above 9 percent in 28 years.
• Despite the Administration’s promise that unemployment would remain below 8 percent if their $800 billion “stimulus” plan was enacted, the unemployment rate has remained at or above that level for 32 consecutive months.
• Instead of raising taxes to pay for more failed government spending, House Republicans are committed to working to cut spending, simplify the tax code, and cut through the bureaucratic red tape that is costing American jobs.
• Unfortunately, the President’s latest “jobs” proposal calls for $450 billion more in short-term spending measures that will not lead to meaningful, long-term job creation.
• More stimulus spending and debt won’t cure our ailing economy. Growing jobs and cutting spending go hand in hand. To balance the budget, we need both spending cuts and real economic growth.
• Cutting spending will help the U.S. avoid a job-killing debt crisis that certain European nations are experiencing right now.
• House Republicans are working to cut spending, and tear down the regulatory barriers to job creation.
• Excessive regulations are a huge drag on our economy. Complying with government red tape costs small businesses with fewer than 20 employees an average of 410,585 per employee every year.
• Complying with our confusing tax code cost Americans $160 billion in 2009 and raising taxes will result in even fewer jobs. To help American families and small businesses, we must simplify the tax code and prevent massive tax hikes that will hinder our economic recovery.
• Government must get out of the way so the private sector has an opportunity to grow.