Senate Republicans Hope to Overturn EPA Endangerment Finding

Senate Republicans are hoping that they can convince a majority of senators to vote for a resolution planned by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to turn back the Environmental Protection Agency's finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger health and the environment.

Speaking at a news conference, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said: "You want bipartisanship? You're going to get it on this issue…. I think you're going to have a lot of Democrats that have the same view that we do."

Murkowski said that getting the 30 Republicans needed to force a floor vote on the resolution on endangerment in the Senate is "a done deal." Murkowski said she was hopeful that enough Democrats would support the measure to pass it in the Senate.

In the House, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said in a statement that he and other House Republicans plan to introduce a similar resolution to disapprove of the EPA finding. Barton is the ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In response, EPA spokesman Brendan Gilfillan said the agency "answered the endangerment question because the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the agency to do so more than two years ago." He added that "EPA reached its determination because there is a broad and overwhelming scientific consensus that greenhouse gas pollution endangers public health and welfare."