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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Energy policy and regulation are vital to
3Illinois' economy and have a direct impact on Illinois
4families, businesses, farmers, and employees; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency
6(EPA) has proposed or is proposing numerous new regulations,
7particularly in the area of air quality and regulation of
8greenhouse gases, that are likely to have major effects on the
9economy, jobs, and U.S. competitiveness in worldwide markets;
10and
 
11    WHEREAS, The EPA's regulatory activity as to air quality
12and greenhouse gases has become known as the "train wreck"
13because of the numerous and overlapping requirements and the
14potentially devastating consequences this activity may have on
15the economy; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Concern is growing that, with cap-and-trade
17legislation having failed in Congress, the EPA is attempting to
18obtain the same results through the adoption of regulations;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, Neither the EPA nor the present Presidential
21administration has undertaken any comprehensive study of what

 

 

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1the cumulative effect of all of this new regulatory activity
2will have on the economy, jobs, and competitiveness; moreover,
3the EPA has not performed any comprehensive study of what the
4environmental benefits of its greenhouse regulation will be in
5terms of impacts on global climate; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Illinois State agencies are routinely required to
7identify the costs of their regulations and to justify those
8costs in light of the benefits; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Illinois Senate supports continuing
10improvements in the quality of the nation's air and believes
11that such improvements can be made in a sensible fashion
12without damaging the economy so long as there is a full
13understanding of the cost of the regulations at issue; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The primary goal of government at the present time
15must be to promote economic recovery and to foster a stable and
16predictable business environment that will lead to the creation
17of jobs; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
19ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to
20adopt legislation prohibiting the EPA, by any means necessary,
21from regulating greenhouse gas emissions, including if
22necessary defunding the EPA greenhouse gas regulatory

 

 

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1activities; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That we also urge Congress to impose a moratorium
3on the promulgation of any new air quality regulations by the
4EPA, except to directly address an imminent health or
5environmental emergency, for a period of at least two years;
6and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That Congress require the Administration to
8undertake a comprehensive study identifying all regulatory
9activity that the EPA intends to undertake in furtherance of
10its goal of "taking action on climate change and improving air
11quality" and specifying the cumulative effect of all of these
12regulations on the economy, jobs, and American economic
13competitiveness; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent
15to President Barack Obama, the President pro tempore of the
16United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of
17Representatives, the Administrator of the Environmental
18Protection Agency, and each member of the Illinois
19congressional delegation.