Senate Natural Resources Committee advances memorial urging Congress to clarify EPA authority

Summary

The committee gave Senate Concurrent Memorial 1004 a due‑pass recommendation after debate about whether Congress should redefine or clarify the Environmental Protection Agency's statutory powers; supporters called for legislative clarity, opponents said the memorial undermines science‑based protections.

PHOENIX — The Senate Natural Resources Committee advanced Senate Concurrent Memorial 1004, which urges the U.S. Congress to more clearly define the Environmental Protection Agency’s powers and to curb what sponsors described as regulatory overreach.

Sponsor remarks said the memorial is intended as a nonpartisan request that Congress provide statutory guardrails so agencies do not exceed intended scope. "So the concept here in this memorial is to call on Congress to get their act together," the sponsor said, describing the measure as a request rather than prescriptive policy.

Opponents argued the memorial would signal opposition to science‑based environmental protections. One senator said the measure "denies the reality of climate change" and would undermine authority that courts have acknowledged for the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases when they endanger people and the environment. Supporters countered that congressional clarification could reduce perceived regulatory overreach while not replacing scientific analysis.

After discussion the committee approved the memorial with a due‑pass recommendation. The committee then adjourned.