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UPDATES Congress: On October 1, for the first time in 17 years, the government shut down after House Republicans refused to vote on a “clean” Continuing Resolution to fund the government. While negotiations are ongoing, it is unclear if a deal will soon be reached. As was reported last week, the federal government is predicted to reach the limit for federal borrowing on October 17. Legislation to raise the debt ceiling will present another opportunity for Republicans to attach unrelated proposals, including several related to the Clean Air Act: a measure to block carbon pollution standards, and several so-called “regulatory reform” proposals that would stymie federal standards to prevent air pollution and protect public health. There has been speculation that the government will remain closed until the debt ceiling fight, at which point Republicans will likely roll out a series of environmental attacks. Courts: The Supreme Court recently announced it will hold oral arguments, December 10, on the case in which a sharply divided DC Circuit overturned the Cross State Air Pollution Rule. Lawyers supporting the rule are cautiously optimistic that it will be resurrected, following the welcome decision by the high court to take the case and strong briefs by EPA and environmental petitioners. Industry and hostile state briefs are due on October 31.
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ACTION ALERT Tell Your Representatives and Senators to Get Back to Work! For the first time in 17 years, the federal government has shut down—because a small group of tea party radicals in the House of Representatives is holding the federal budget hostage to gain leverage on “Obamacare” and other issues, and Speaker Boehner is going along with them. EPA and other vital government agencies have had to close their doors, putting our nation’s economy, health, and environment at risk and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without a paycheck. Don’t let the planet and human health suffer the consequences of the government shutdown. Urge Congress to pass a “clean” funding bill to get the government back to work. Alerts: Stand Up Against the Dangerous Eco-Effects of the Government Shutdown, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Action Alert Put the National Interest Over Partisan Interest, Friends Committee on National Legislation Action Alert Don’t let House Bullies Keep our Government Shut Down, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Action Alert Help Vital Wildlife Conservation Continue, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Action Alert Tell John Boehner: Put Country Before Party! End the Shutdown!, Sierra Club Action Alert Suggested Tweet: Tell Congress to put our safety first – states like Colorado need first responders to fight wildfires and fix flood damage.
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NEW MATERIALS Reason Takes a Holiday: Day 3: Daily Dings to Our Health and Environment from the GOP’s Government Shutdown, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Blog, 10.3.13 Will GOP Learn from Shutdown Fiasco or Force Another One Over Debt Ceiling?, Natural Resources and Defense Council (NRDC) Blog, 10.2.13 US Shutdown Hits Obama’s Climate Agenda as EPA Staff are Sent Home, The Guardian Article, 10.2.13 What the Shutdown Means for Energy and Environmental Programs, Climate Progress Blog, 10.2.13 Treading Water: How States Can Minimize the Impact of Power Plants on Aquatic Life, Joint Report, 9.13
Above is a sampling of the most recent resources related to upholding the Clean Air Act. Don’t forget USCAN has a series of pages that compile items like these and much more: Congressional Attacks on the Clean Air Act Industrial Carbon Pollution Standards Standards for Power Plants and Other Major Emitters
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Clean Air Act Digest is a publication put together by US Climate Action Network and Natural Resources Defense Council. Please contact Lara Levison at llevison@climatenetwork.org for more details. Click here for past issues. |
