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House passes resolution urging Congress to block EPA greenhouse-gas regulation without approval
Summary
HJR 19, a joint resolution calling on Congress to prohibit the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases without congressional approval and to impose a two-year moratorium on new EPA greenhouse-gas rules, passed the Utah House 61–12 after floor debate on states' rights, air quality, and economic impacts.
The Utah House on Feb. 17 passed HJR 19, a joint resolution calling on Congress to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases without congressional authorization, to impose a moratorium of at least two years on EPA greenhouse-gas regulations, and to require objective cost-benefit and cumulative-impact analyses before promulgating such rules.
Representative Barris, sponsor, argued the Clean Air Act was not designed to regulate greenhouse gases and that states should retain the lead in air-quality planning. "Utah is calling on Congress to adopt legislation prohibiting the United States Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases without congressional approval," he said, urging a moratorium and study of regulatory impacts.
Supporters and opponents debated both constitutional delegation of regulatory authority and the merits of EPA action. Representative Cox, who said she supports clean air and renewable energy, also said she did not support unilateral EPA regulation without congressional approval. Other members raised local air-quality concerns and examples of industry steps to reduce emissions.
After floor debate and a motion to cut off further discussion, the House adopted the resolution by recorded vote, 61–12, and will transmit it to the Senate. The resolution is a formal statement of the legislature’s position and does not change state statute or federal law.
What happens next: the resolution will be sent to the Senate and may be used as a legislative statement in intergovernmental or legal discussions about EPA authority.
