The House Energy & Commerce Committee voted 34-19 to restrict EPA's power to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using exist- ing Clean Air Act authority. The Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011, introduced by Representative Fred Upton (R., MI), would counter the legal precedent set in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court which estab- lished EPA's authority to regulate GHGs provided GHGs are considered an endangerment to public health. Senator James Inhofe (R., OK) has introduced a similar bill in the Senate. The bill will have difficulty pass- ing the Senate, however, lawmakers say. Republicans on the committee say they are concerned that regulation of GHGs would put U.S. business at a competitive disadvantage and prevent full economic recovery.
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