Letter to Ed Whitfield, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy - Additional Days of Hearings

Letter

Today Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman and Democratic Members of the Energy and Power Subcommittee sent a letter to Chairman Ed Whitfield requesting at least one additional day of hearings on legislation to amend section 328 of the Clean Air Act. The letter urges Republicans to schedule this hearing before the draft bill is marked up in order to gain insight from Environmental Protection Agency experts regarding the effects of this legislation.

The full text of the letter is below and can be downloaded here.

April 13, 2011
The Honorable Ed Whitfield
Chairman
Subcommittee on Energy and Power
House Committee on Energy and Commerce
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Whitfield:

Pursuant to clause 20)(1) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, we are writing to request that at least one additional day of hearings be conducted on the subject of today's hearing on draft legislation to amend section 328 of the Clean Air Act. We further request that this hearing be scheduled before the Subcommittee marks up legislation on this subject.

In particular, we believe that the Subcommittee should hear from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in order to fully understand the effects of this legislation. Since EPA is responsible for implementing the Clean Air Act and has deep expertise in the law and in the regulated activities, it only makes sense to hear from the agency prior to marking up legislation. Other relevant witnesses would also provide value to the Committee's examination of this issue.

Last week, Ranking Members Henry Waxman and Bobby L. Rush asked that an additional legislative hearing be planned if today's hearing moved forward without EPA. Yesterday, Ranking Member Waxman reiterated this request. There has not been a response to these requests. That is why we are invoking our right under rule XI to request such a hearing.

We look forward to setting a mutually acceptable time and place for the additional hearing to garner testimony from witnesses that we have selected, and we thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,
Henry A. Waxman
Ranking Member
-
John D. Dingell
Member of Congress
-
Eliot L. Engel
Member of Congress
-
Lois Capps
Member of Congress
-
Jay Inslee
Member of Congress

Bobby L. Rush
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Power
-
Edward J. Markey
Member of Congress
-
Gene Green
Member of Congress
-
Michael F. Doyle
Member of Congress
-
Jim Matheson
Member of Congress