Johanns Criticizes Call For Quick Vote On Thousand-Page Bill

Press Release

Senator Mike Johanns today expressed concern about the possibility of pushing ahead with a vote on a landmark climate bill this week without complete analysis from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said she's prepared to move ahead with consideration of the climate bill despite objections by Republican committee members who want EPA to complete a full economic analysis of the proposal, as it did before the House considered its version of the bill.

"It is irresponsible and frankly hard to believe that anyone would want to consider a thousand-page bill that would impact families and businesses in every corner of the country without a full economic analysis," Johanns said. "EPA has said it will take a few more weeks to provide its economic figures. Given the potentially huge impact this bill would have on every section of our economy, there is absolutely no justification for ramming this bill through committee."

The bill would set a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and require emitters to possess allowances for all
emissions.

Background:
• The Senate bill, S. 1733, was first introduced with hundreds of blanks and missing text, making a complete analysis impossible.
• These blanks were later filled in and the bill was given to EPA, which had only 12 days to review it.
o EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson testified last week "We have not run the full economic modeling."
o Instead, EPA published a self-described "paper," a 30-page discussion of the bill, on Oct. 23.
• On Oct. 30, Sen. Boxer distributed a new 959-page version of the bill.

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