Overnight Regulation: Republicans blast agencies’ climate reviews

Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from the federal agencies, Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Wednesday evening here in Washington, where Tim is beating Congress out of town and is off to Reykjavik and Paris for a little R&R. But Lydia is sticking around to keep you up-to-date on everything regulation.

Here’s the latest.

 

THE BIG STORY

The Obama administration is coming under fire over climate change recommendations it issued while Congress was away this summer.

The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued new guidelines in August that recommended federal agencies incorporate climate change into environmental reviews they conduct for proposed oil, gas, and pipeline projects.

But Republicans blasted the climate change guidelines Wednesday.

The Hill’s Devin Henry has the story:

House Republicans on Wednesday hammered a new Obama administration request for federal agencies to consider climate change impacts in environmental reviews of proposed projects.

The guidance, finalized by the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in August, sets standards for how agencies can incorporate climate change into their permitting evaluations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 

Republicans oppose the change, saying the new guidance will slow down permitting for projects like oil and gas drilling and pipeline construction that already need to go through NEPA reviews. 

“For CEQ, it appears advancing a questionable agenda at all costs is more important than ensuring that the law and science and sound economic reasoning are going to be honored,” House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said during a Wednesday hearing. 

Bishop tied the guidance to climate-related executive actions pursued by the Obama administration. 

“This administration’s concept that the end justifies the means, not going through Congress and finding other ways of accomplishing its goals, stretches the limits of the Constitution,” he said. 

Democrats and CEQ Managing Director Christy Goldfuss defended the guidance, saying it will help address climate change, which Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) called the “mother of all environmental issues.”

The guidance will help “merely understand the carbon impact of our federal decisions,” said Grijalva, the committee’s top Democrat.

“By counseling federal agencies on how to consider climate change in their NEPA reviews, our final guidance builds on the administration’s efforts to address climate change and build a more resilient future,” Goldfuss said.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2cuyd8q 

 

ON TAP FOR THURSDAY

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing to look at the current practices in cosmetic development and safety. http://bit.ly/2csHN9b

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management will hold a hearing to examine agency regulatory guidance. http://bit.ly/2cUnsKF

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee will hold a hearing to review and get an update on the corporate average fuel economy program and greenhouse gas emissions standards for motor vehicles. http://bit.ly/2crufgH

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a hearing on modernizing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. http://bit.ly/2cZlZ78

The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations will hold a hearing to look at the billions wasted through improper payments. http://bit.ly/2cpknWm

The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions will hold a hearing on a discussion draft to modernize multi-employer pensions. http://bit.ly/2cxzUPJ

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 177 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register.

Here’s what is happening:

–The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will propose new bumblebee protections.

The agency is proposing to list the rusty patched bumblebee as an endangered species. This bumblebee is found in the Midwest and on the East coast.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/2cS82ro

–The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will also issue new protections for snails, doves, and bats found in American Samoa.

The agency will list five American Samoa creatures as endangered species. They include two land snails, friendly ground-doves, Pacific sheath-tailed bats, and maos that are found on the island.

The protections go into effect in 30 days. http://bit.ly/2d0nOCp

–The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will delay new horse protections.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service proposed new training standards for horse show inspectors in May, but is now extending the comment period to give the public more time to consider the changes.

The public now has until Oct. 26 to comment. http://bit.ly/2cpn6PG

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW 

House Republicans ask agencies for list of ‘midnight rules’ http://bit.ly/2cLk4GM

Feds float bumblebee protections http://bit.ly/2dhNZSW

White House considers changes to presidential records rule http://bit.ly/2dbF8X3

Mylan CEO denies her mother misused role to boost EpiPen sales http://bit.ly/2cW2Sce

Fed chief fires back at Trump http://bit.ly/2cppplR

US allows Airbus to sell planes to Iran http://bit.ly/2cpr1vY

Senate panel advances ticket bot crackdown http://bit.ly/2dbIM34

Paris climate deal moves closer to taking force http://bit.ly/2d2urCz

GOP grills IRS chief on impeachment http://bit.ly/2d9KWf0

Keeping food on the plate and out of landfills – The New York Times http://nyti.ms/2dkeMkt

Federal Reserve hints at rate hike by the end of the year – Reuters http://reut.rs/2cYlVX2

Transgender people: 10 common myths – Vox http://bit.ly/1UpFPKb 

 

BY THE NUMBERS

91 percent: Population decline suffered by rusty patched bumblebees over the last two decades.

(Source: The Fish and Wildlife Service) http://bit.ly/2dhNZSW

 

TWEET OF THE DAY 

“Would much rather be Ann Coulter at the Roast of Rob Lowe than the Wells Fargo dudebro vs @SenWarren. Sheesh.” – Aaron Chewning, an Altanta-based comedian tweeted Wednesday while sharing video of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) calling for the CEO of Wells Fargo to resign. Dems blasted the bank’s chief on Tuesday during a hearing into a recent scandal over fake accounts that cost customers millions. http://bit.ly/2cDJiS1