EPA Nomination Advances Out of Committee Hearing
This week, the Biden nominee for the EPA administrator, Michael Regan, passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. Senator Kevin Cramer R-ND questioned Mr. Regan at his confirmation hearing, pressing him on the Biden Administration’s autonomous action on the Keystone XL Pipeline and highlighting the importance of cooperative federalism and rule of law when crafting environmental regulations. Watch it here
Senator Cramer made the following remarks after the hearing concluded:
“The Biden Administration’s actions on energy and the environment have been awful for North Dakota and wrong for the country. While it remains to be seen if any of the efforts so far will actually lower emissions, they are certain to eliminate good-paying jobs and bring severe economic hardship to states like ours. I appreciate Mr. Regan’s expressed desire to work with stakeholders and states when developing EPA policy, but given the approach of the current members of the President’s climate team up to this point, I am unconvinced such an effort could be successful in the Biden Administration. I voted to advance Mr. Regan’s nomination today in order to allow the full Senate to have a say on his nomination, and I will reserve my decision on whether to vote to confirm him until that vote is set. I hope to receive reassurances that collaboration is possible before then.”
Hoeven/Cramer Offer Multiple Amendments in Support of Coal Industry
Earlier this week, the Senate held a lengthy debate on the 2021 Budget Resolution that went into the early morning hours. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer co-sponsored and introduced multiple amendments in support of the lignite industry of North Dakota. The amendments included an expansion of the 48A federal tax credit for carbon capture utilization, increased funding and direct pay opportunities for the 45Q federal tax credit as long as it does not include deficit spending and language that would thwart any environmental permitting proposal that would threaten electrical grid reliability. Unfortunately, each amendment was voted down along party lines.