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House repeals EPA greenhouse gas rule

The House passed H.R. 910 on Thursday repealing EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. 19 Democrats joined all Republicans in the 255-172 vote to reverse the climate legislation passed by the last Congress.

House Ag Committee Chair Frank Lucas spoke in support of the bill saying it “would prevent the EPA from running wild across American farms and subjecting our producers to more burdensome regulations that threaten to put them out of business.” Ranking Democrat on the Ag Committee, Colin Peterson supported the measure as well adding “EPA’s regulations would not only make it harder for agriculture producers to meet increased demand but raise costs on all consumers.”

National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson expressed disappointment in the vote saying the country needs to mitigate carbon emissions through comprehensive climate change legislation and this vote “takes our country in the opposite direction of where we should be going.”

The bill basically has no future as a companion measure failed in the Senate on Wednesday. President Obama says he would veto the bill if it made it to his desk.