House Republicans Take Aim at Jewish-Supported Agencies and Reforms

Ariela Fleisig — August 30, 2011 – 6:00 pm | Congress | Domestic Policy | Environment | Health Care | Republicans Comments (0) Add a comment

As further evidence of the distance separating House Republicans from the majority of American Jews, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) detailed in a memo to his caucus a plan to attack certain necessary regulations during the upcoming legislative session. Cantor’s target list includes Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, health care reform protections, and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rules—all of which are items supported by most American Jews.  

National Journal’s Billy House reported:

While Cantor’s memo described these as the ‘top 10 job-destroying regulations’—and even provides specific weeks or broader time frames for when the House GOP majority will target each of them—efforts to block or undo them are certain to draw opposition from the Obama administration and many congressional Democrats.

The docket items, House wrote, include:

• Week of October 3: New EPA MACT rules pertaining to boilers,    including those used by factories, hospitals, colleges, and other     businesses. A bill sponsored by Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., would provide a legislative ‘stay’ on     four rules issued by the EPA in March. The legislation would also provide     the EPA with at least 15 months to re-propose and finalize new versions     ‘that do not destroy jobs, and provide employers with an extended     compliance period.’

• November-December: New health care law restrictions involving     previously protected or ‘grandfathered’ health care plans that Republicans     say will force the loss of many small-employer plans, causing businesses     to face increased costs. The Energy and Commerce, Ways     and Means, and Education and Workforce committees ‘will soon be working on     legislation to repeal these ObamaCare restrictions,’ wrote Cantor.

• Winter: Any readjustment of the Ozone Rule. Republicans     complain that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is pushing for a ‘premature     readjustment of the current ozone standards,’ to increase the number of     areas dubbed as not meeting air-quality standards, and which must     implement plans to meet those standards. The new readjustment rule is     expected early this fall, Cantor wrote, ‘and I expect the Energy and Commerce     Committee to act swiftly to prevent     its implementation, in order to protect American jobs.’

• Winter: Upcoming EPA greenhouse-gas new source performing     standards, which Cantor’s memo says will impact all new and existing oil,    natural-gas, and coal-fired power plants, as well as oil refineries,    nationwide. Cantor said he expects the Energy and Commerce Committee to     move swiftly as well in the coming months on this matter ‘to protect     American jobs and consumers.’

• Winter: In light of an NLRB notice of a proposed rule     regarding union election procedures, Cantor said the House also will consider     legislation that will ‘protect the interests of both employers and their     workers.’

 

The House Republicans’ use of the EPA, NLRB, and necessary health care reforms as supposedly “job-destroying” straw men indicates that the Republican Party has no new ideas for job creation—rather, they choose to stick to their decades-old dogmatic focus on loosening the rules for corporations.

Cantor’s memo proves yet again that American Jews cannot rely upon the Republican Party to protect the policies supported by most in our community.

Click here to read House’s full article.

 

 

 

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