Congressional Republicans Aiming to Undermine Health, Safety and Environmental Safeguards for the American People

WASHINGTON (January 13, 2015) – The Republican House is voting on a bill today that would make it difficult, if not impossible, to put in place new regulations to protect the public. The Regulatory Accountability Act represents the latest example of the chamber's brazen effort to do the bidding of Big Polluters and undermine clean air, drinking water and public health.

The following is a statement by Scott Slesinger, legislative director of the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“Republican leaders are making it clear today: they’re doing the work of Big Polluters and their allies by pushing a bill that aims to block -- basically for all time -- any new health, safety and environmental safeguards for the American people. This bill would impose overly complex and needless requirements on the EPA and other agencies and give industry many more ways to tie up new rules in court, so they virtually never see the light of day. Americans who want safe water, healthy food, clean air and better health protections would be the losers if this bill ever becomes law. Thankfully, the president’s promised veto of this disastrous measure means it won’t.”

For more about this legislation’s threats, see this blog by Scott Slesinger:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/sslesinger/why_the_regulatory_accountabil.html

To see how this legislation would threaten the Environmental Protection Agency, see this blog by John Walke, NRDC’s clean air director:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jwalke/new_congress_prepares_to_take_.html