Dive Brief:
- President Obama would likely veto a trio of bills the White House believes would weaken the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's authority and soften the public health protections of the Clean Air Act, the Hill reports.
- Republicans contend the changes are needed to make the EPA more transparent in the way it regulates, but the White House has said the proposed Secret Science Reform Act of 2014 and two other bills could weaken the EPA's ability to use sound science.
- The House of Representatives is expected to vote on all of the measures this week. The administration has warned the bills are unnecessary and include expensive requirements that will increase uncertainty for businesses and states.
Dive Insight:
The White House has signaled its intent to veto three bills it believes would weaken the EPA: the Secret Science Reform Act, sponsored by Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz); the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act sponsored by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah); and the Promoting New Manufacturing Act sponsored by Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La).
The House of Representatives will vote on the measures, which Republicans say are aimed at installing a level of transparency in the way the EPA regulates. White House officials disagree, saying the proposals would make it tougher for the agency to use sound science and would complicate regulations and make processes more expensive.
Explaining its objections to the Secret Science Reform Act, the White House said the bill would prevent EPA from finalizing regulations "until legal challenges about the legitimate withholding of certain scientific and technical information are resolved," the Hill reports.
The bill also could prevent EPA from making some decisions, "including those concerning the cleanup of contaminated sites, if the data supporting those decisions cannot, for legitimate reasons, be made publicly available," the White House said.