Johnson, Sam Rep
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</div><div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;">Other bills that aim to hamstring federal environmental and climate protection, but still have a lot of traction to gain in Congress, include:</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;">• <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/928?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22environmental+protection%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=39" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act</strong></a><strong>.</strong> This bill, sponsored in the House by seven Republicans and <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/334/cosponsors?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22environmental+protection%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=40" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">in the Senate</a> by 12 Republicans, would prevent the federal government from regulating any aspect of <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/fracking-milestone-as-natural-gas-use-rises-20330" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">hydraulic fracturing</a>, or fracking, handing that responsibility to individual states.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;">Fracking is a method of injecting sand and chemicals to crack open rock formations deep underground to release oil and natural gas. Advances in fracking technology brought about the shale <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/drilling-fracking-efficiency-fuels-oil-and-gas-boom-17204" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">oil and gas boom</a> of the past decade, helping to cause the <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/low-oil-prices-may-bode-ill-for-climate-18403" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">2014 crash</a> in oil and gas prices and encouraging electric power plants to <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/coal-slides-new-low-source-of-electricity-19967" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">switch away from coal</a>. The fracking process also <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/epa-methane-emissions-fracking-18511" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">pollutes the atmosphere</a> with methane, a gas about 34 times as strong as carbon dioxide in warming the climate over the span of a century.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;">The Obama administration <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/epa-regulate-oil-gas-methane-emissions-20342" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">attempted to control</a> air and climate pollution from fracking operations, but Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/28/presidential-executive-order-promoting-energy-independence-and-economi-1" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">overturned</a> those efforts with an executive order in March.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;">• <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/350?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22environmental+protection%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=35" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>The Recognizing Protection of Motorsports Act, or “RPM Act.”</strong></a> This bipartisan bill exempts emissions from cars used in competition, such as stock car racing, from regulation under the Clean Air Act. The legislation has 112 sponsors in the House and a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/203/cosponsors?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22environmental+protection%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=18" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;">corresponding bill</a> has 27 sponsors in the Senate. Both bills are being heard in committee.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;">• <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/263/actions?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22environmental+protection%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=32" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>The Ozone Standards Implementation Act</strong></a>. This bipartisan Senate bill, sponsored by six senators from coal-dependent states, amends the Clean Air Act to delay implementation of 2015 ozone pollution standards implemented by the Obama administration. The bill requires the EPA’s Science Advisory Board to provide advice about how meeting the ozone pollution standards would have adverse public health and economic impacts. The bill remains in committee.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;">• <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/861/all-actions-without-amendments?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22environmental+protection%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=9" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>H.R. 861.</strong></a> This bill, sponsored by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., with six GOP co-sponsors, would terminate the EPA at the end of 2018. The bill is stalled in the House.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;">• <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/958?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22environmental+protection%5C%22%22%5D%7D&r=15" style="color: rgb(241, 96, 44); text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>The Wasteful EPA Programs Elimination Act</strong></a>. Sponsored by a single Texas Republican congressman, this bill would kill nearly all EPA climate programs, and terminate the EPA’s environmental justice programs and state grant programs. The bill is stalled in committee.</p></div><div>==</div>