Congressional Roundup
From the Office of Congressman Gary G. Miller

Oct. 14, 2011

This Week in Congress:

Free Trade Agreements: On Wednesday, the House approved the three long-pending, job-creating free trade agreements with South Korea (by a vote of 278-151), Panama (by a vote of 300-129), and Colombia (by a vote of 262-167). These agreements will increase exports, lower the U.S. trade deficit and help the economy grow. The non-partisan, independent U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that implementation of the three pending trade agreements will 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 through expanded market access overseas leading to job creation here at home.

Other Trade Programs: Also on Wednesday, the House approved the Senate amendment to H.R. 2832 by a vote of 307-122, which extends the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). Despite changes in the legislation designed to streamline the TAA program, Congressman Miller opposed H.R. 2832 due to serious concerns about continuing the program, which has been cited as duplicative of other efforts to help unemployed workers. He continues to believe that opening up overseas markets to U.S. products and services will help our economy, spur job creation, and benefit American workers and consumers.

Prohibit Federal Funding of Abortion: On Thursday, the House approved H.R. 358, the Protect Life Act, by a vote of 251-172. The bill would amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to prevent federal funding of abortion or abortion coverage. It would also ensure that nothing in PPACA can be construed to require coverage of, or access to, abortion and to ensure that nothing in PPACA allows anyone implementing PPACA to require “coverage of, access to, or training in abortion services.” After passage of the PPACA, the President signed an Executive Order to address certain concerns about abortion funding. However, it should be noted that a sitting president can change his mind and rescind it, a future president can have a different opinion, or opponents of the Executive Order can prevail in court by arguing that elements of the Order do not have a sufficient legislative foundation to survive. The Protect Life Act would provide greater certainty and permanence that the Executive Order does not.

EPA Regulatory Relief: Also on Thursday, the House approved H.R. 2250, the EPA Regulatory Relief Act by a vote of 275-142. The bill would provide a legislative stay of four interrelated Environmental Protection Agency rules – referred to 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 HIS Global Insight puts the figure at $20 billion. The costs of these stringent rules will impose significant new regulatory costs on employers and small businesses that could lead to job losses and factory closures. The bill would alleviate the excessive regulatory burden placed on employers by the EPA’s Boiler MACT rules by replacing them with technically and economically achievable rules that do not destroy jobs.

Coal Ash: On Friday, the House passed H.R. 2273, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2011 by a vote of 267-144. The bill would preclude the EPA from regulating fly ash waste, bottom ash waste, slag waste, and flue gas emission control waste generation primarily from the combustion of coal or other fossil fuels under Subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act. The EPA has proposed rules to regulate coal combustion residuals as hazardous waste, placing uncertainty on the coal ash recycling industry when these materials do not even meet EPA’s own standards for toxicity. This overregulation would destroy thousands of jobs in the byproducts industry and could drive up energy costs for consumers.

Next Week:

District Work Period: As of this writing, the House of Representatives has adjourned for a scheduled one-week district work period. The House is scheduled to be back in session and voting on Monday, October 24.

Town Hall Meeting: Congressman Miller will be hosting a Town Hall meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18. The meeting will take place at the Diamond Bar Center, 1600 Grand Avenue, Diamond Bar, CA 91765.

Talking Points on the Importance of Free Trade Agreements

• As the vast majority of the world’s purchasing power, economic growth, and consumers are outside of the United States, trade supports more than 38 million American jobs – including over 193,000 in California’s 42nd Congressional District.
• Free trade also generates nearly a half trillion dollars worth of exports every year for U.S. service providers.
• California is home to over 1,700 exporting companies, responsible for $47.8 billion in exports to our country’s trading partners under free trade agreements.
• Trade arrangements will strengthen our economy at home and promote economic development and democratic governance among our trading partners.
• Opening markets and encouraging free and fair trade will help keep and create jobs here at home while ensuring that American goods and services reach as many corners of the globe as possible.
• International trade agreements will build our economy’s strengths while sending an important signal to the world that America is serious about expanding free trade and expanding opportunities for American workers and businesses.
• By eliminating burdensome tariffs that augment the price of U.S. goods, we are making our products available to wider audiences abroad, thus fortifying industries here at home.
• The free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Columbia will offer countless opportunities for American workers, farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers by leveling the playing field for exports of U.S. goods and products into some of the world’s largest and growing markets.
• The independent, non-partisan International Trade Commission (ITC) has estimated that implementing these agreements will increase U.S. exports by more than $10 billion.
• At a time when our economy is continuing to struggle and unemployment remains stubbornly high, implementation of these important trade agreements will help to spur economic growth by creating new, open markets for American goods and services, spurring productivity and job creation.

Reigning in the EPA

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created with a central mission to protect the environment and the public health. However, far too often, the agency’s regulations impose costly, unnecessary burdens on our nation’s job creators.
• Over the past two and a half years, President Obama’s EPA has waged a nonstop assault on U.S. jobs and competitiveness.
• While the federal government has the responsibility to protect our nation’s resources and public safety, it must do so in a way that does not impose regulatory burdens that hamper our free enterprise system and job creation.
• During this session, House Republicans have passed legislation to reign in the EPA and alleviate the strain placed on individuals, businesses, and our economy by the agency’s excessive regulations.
• Earlier this year, the House passed legislation to stop the EPA from regulating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. These regulations pose a tremendous threat to our economic recovery by increasing energy costs for consumers and companies, hindering economic growth and job creation.
• The TRAIN Act, passed by the House in September, would require a federal interagency committee to examine the effect of major rules issued or proposed by the EPA on the U.S.’s economic competitiveness, energy prices, and employment.
• The House has also passed legislation requiring the EPA to re-propose regulations regarding industrial boilers and cement manufacturers that would cost billions of dollars to implement and places thousands of jobs at risk. The bill would require the EPA to give industries at least 5 years to comply with the new rules, which must be technically and economically achievable.
• As our economy continues to struggle, the last thing the EPA should do is enact regulations that will have a minimal impact on the environment, increase the cost of doing business, send energy costs for American consumers soaring, and deprive job creators of resources they could use to expand their companies and hire new workers.