"Republican War on EPA Begins — But Will They Overreach?"

"Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson finally got to use her parking space on Capitol Hill this morning. Jackson was the star witness at the newly Republican-run House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearings on the proposed 'Energy Tax Prevention Act.'

What's that? You weren't aware that there was an energy tax that needed preventing? Well, that's because the Republican majority has decided to frame its battle against the EPA's efforts to regulate greenhouse gases as fighting energy taxes, because greenhouse gas regulations equal higher energy costs, which then kill jobs. ...

For her part Jackson—who withstood more than two hours of pointed questioning from Republican committee members—tried to frame the issue in terms of the EPA's larger responsibility to safeguard clean air. To her, the Republican assault on the agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gases would water down the Clean Air Act itself, with consequences for the health of the nation."

Bryan Walsh reports for TIME's Ecocentric blog February 9, 2011.

SEE ALSO:

"E.P.A. and Carbon Dioxide: The Prequel" (Green/NYT)

"A Cool Reception: EPA Administrator Experiences Climate Change in The House" (Post Carbon)

"Report Shows Key Subpanel Members Took Lots of Industry Money in 2010" (Greenwire)

"Republicans Bash U.S. EPA Over Greenhouse Gas Rules" (Reuters)

"EPA Chief Defends Greenhouse-Gas Regulations" (Wall St. Journal)

"Congress, Climate Change And Incompetent Grandstanding" (Economist)

"House Republicans Take E.P.A. Chief to Task" (New York Times)

"House Panel Plans To Overturn EPA's Finding on  Climate Change" (McClatchy)

"EPA Chief Criticizes GOP Assault on  Greenhouse Gas Regulation" (Los Angeles Times)

"Texas Officials, EPA Clash Over Greenhouse Gas" (Houston Chronicle)

"Waxman Cites Bush EPA Chief to Combat GOP's Climate Bill" (ClimateWire)

"Republicans Try To Roll Back Climate Science In EPA Fight" (businessGreen)

"Bush EPA Recognized Global Warming Threat" (Mother Jones)