Topics in the News: Natural Resources
JD Vance on Environment
: Jul 15, 2024
Environmental justice is an excuse to offshore American jobs
Vance has opposed and sought to scrutinize EPA regulations, including on gasoline-powered generators and methylene chloride, a paint stripper chemical linked to cancer. He's also dismissed environmental justice as an excuse to offshore American jobs.
Vance has called Democratic action on climate "dumb" and a "handout to Chinese companies at the expense of Ohio workers."But he recently [said] that if some local companies support certain Inflation Reduction Act provisions, lawmakers might want to
keep them instead of repealing the entire law: "The Inflation Reduction Act is mostly a lot of green energy stuff. It's also added a lot of costs out there and a lot of federal spending that's forced the inflation prices," said Vance. "And I also
think that it's sort of hastening a transition away from things like the gas driven cars that most Americans don't want. So I think there's a lot of bad policy in there. And I'd like to see a lot of it gotten rid of."
Click for JD Vance on other issues.
Source: Environment & Energy News on 2024 Veepstakes
Kamala Harris on Environment
: Jun 28, 2024
Chevron deference: let EPA expertise keep air & water clean
Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on the Supreme Court Ruling in Loper Bright [which overturned the "Chevron deference," a principle established in 1984 which allowed agencies like the EPA to interpret Congressional laws with their own
expertise]:People throughout our Nation should be able to count on their government to ensure that our air and water are clean, health care is accessible and affordable, financial markets are sound, products are safe, and workers are not exploited on
the job. Courts have long deferred to federal experts to make these ideals a reality.
Unfortunately, today's Supreme Court decision sides with powerful special interests who want to roll back commonsense rules that protect Americans.
President Biden and I will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and ensure that every person in our country can thrive.
Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.
Source: White House Vice Presidential 2024 press release: ""
JD Vance on Environment
: May 14, 2024
Too many unfunded Clean Water Act mandates in Ohio cities
Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) called on the EPA to engage with Ohio communities, weigh each community's financial capacity, and provide them with flexibility as they work to fulfill their unfunded federal mandate under the
Clean Water Act. "We urge you to fully utilize the 2023 CWA Financial Capability Assessment Guidance and engage with communities to take a wholistic approach in calculating an area's financial capacity for CWA compliance as Ohio communities work to
fulfill their unfunded federal mandate," the Senators wrote.[Their letter to the EPA noted that] "there are a number of Ohio communities under federal consent decrees regarding CWA compliance, including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Toledo and
Youngstown. While each of these communities is committed to reaching compliance with the CWA in a timely manner, they are also encumbered by aging infrastructure and constrained financial positions due to a legacy of deindustrialization."
Click for JD Vance on other issues.
Source: Senate press release (Brown/Vance 2024): "Call on EPA"
Joe Biden on Environment
: Jan 31, 2024
Require railway to clean up after East Palestine derailment
One year ago, on February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine. President Biden will travel to East Palestine to discuss Federal support to the community, and hold Norfolk Southern accountable.
President Biden pledged he would make Norfolk Southern clean up its mess in East Palestine, and his Administration is delivering. Last February, EPA ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up all environmental damage caused by the derailment.
In September, President Biden issued an Executive Order directing that Norfolk Southern continue to be held accountable for the derailment and address any long-term effects on the community.
At the same time, the Administration has taken action to improve rail safety and continues to call on Congress to do its part by passing the Bipartisan Railway Safety Act.
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Source: White House Presidential 2024 press release: "Derailment"
Dean Phillips on Environment
: Oct 20, 2023
Restore EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions
In Congress, Dean has been a vocal advocate for legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the effects of climate change, and create more resilient communities. Dean is an original cosponsor of the Energy Innovation and
Carbon Dividend Act, which would put a price on carbon and return the proceeds to every taxpayer, along with the EPA Regulatory Authority Act of 2022, which would restore the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
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Source: 2022 MN-3 House campaign website PhillipsForCongress.org
Donald Trump on Environment
: Aug 23, 2023
They have sinks where no water comes out; I ended that
Q: What about EPA rules on electric cars & water usage?TRUMP: They want you to use a heating system that will cost you at least $10,000 to buy and won't work very well. None of the stuff works as well. One of the things I did with the EPA is most of
the states have so much water. It's not like a big problem. Now in some states they have a problem, and for that it's okay. But they have sinks where no water comes out. You turn it on, no water comes out. No water comes out of the shower. When I
say "no water," [I mean] "very little water." You want to wash your hands, and you turn on the sink, and there's very little. Or you want to wash your beautiful hair and you're standing under a shower, and the suds never go. The water comes out very
slowly. I'm sure you've seen this.
Q: Yeah, you take a drill & take the limiter out.
TRUMP: Well, you can, but now they make it so you can't do that so easily. They have a restrictor, and it restricts the water from coming out. So I ended all of that.
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Source: Tucker on X interview opposite 2023 GOP debate in Milwaukee
Perry Johnson on Environment
: Aug 13, 2023
Don't need new, draconian regulations that remove incentives
With our natural resources, we should be energy independent and a massive exporter of energy, but the government gets in the way. We must work WITH industry rather than dictating to them and stifling their innovation. Capitalism has always produced the
best innovations. Our air and water are the cleanest they have ever been. We do not need new, draconian regulations that will remove the incentive to produce and innovate.
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Source: 2024 Presidential campaign website PerryJohnson.com
Nikki Haley on Environment
: May 7, 2023
Sued Obama's EPA over heavy-handed regulatory burdens
The federal government tried to tell South Carolina what to do, and Nikki repeatedly told it to take a hike. Nikki rejected Obamacare's Medicaid expansion because she knew another unfunded mandate would be disastrous for taxpayers. She also defended
SC's right-to-work laws when Obama's National Labor Relations Board sued the state. She joined other states in suing Obama's EPA over heavy-handed regulatory burdens and defended South Carolina's tough illegal immigration laws from D.C. meddling.
Click for Nikki Haley on other issues.
Source: 2024 Presidential campaign website NikkiHaley.com
Doug Burgum on Energy & Oil
: Jan 3, 2023
On our way toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2030
Today, we're on our way toward achieving carbon neutrality as a state by 2030, thanks to our extraordinary capacity to safely store over 252 billion tons of CO2, or 50 years of the nation's CO2 output. We were the first state to establish the legal and
regulatory framework for carbon capture, utilization and storage, or CCUS, in 2009. Now we're in a spot to lead the nation in this emerging industry, because we can permit our own CO2 storage wells at least five times faster than the EPA.
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Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the N.D. legislature
Doug Burgum on Energy & Oil
: Jun 30, 2022
EPA rules infringed on state & Congressional authority
Burgum released a statement regarding the Supreme Court decision affirming the State's role as an equal partner to the federal government in regulating greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants."The Court's ruling is a tremendously
significant decision for State's rights and consumers. This ruling puts a halt to federal overreach, including far reaching EPA proposed rules that infringed not just on State's but congressional authority," Burgum said. "Leading with innovation, not
regulation, and all-of-the-above energy strategies that are responsive to market trends, promote new technologies to boost production and curb emissions is an environmentally sound and common-sense approach."
In 2020, the US Court of Appeals struck
down the EPA's Affordable Clean Energy Rule, which recognized the shift in delegating to the States the primary authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plans. The decision today in North Dakota vs. EPA reversed that ruling.
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Source: Statement on ND v. EPA (Presidential 2024 press release)
Mike Pence on Environment
: Sep 22, 2020
Won't comply with EPA rules on toxic mercury
[Editorial--Fort Wayne Gazette, 7/6/15]: "Indiana was one of almost two dozen states that brought the suit that forced the Environmental Protection Agency back to the drawing board on air pollution regulations related to mercury and other toxic
emissions. Pence has put Indiana in the forefront of every recent fight to defend the coal industry from what the state considers undue interference from pollution regulators."
[The Hill, 7/14/14]: "Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is calling on his former colleagues in Congress to defund proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations at the heart of President Obama's climate change initiative. 'Using
the power of the purse, Congress has the ability to block or prevent implementation of the EPA's proposed regulations on new and existing power plants,' Pence wrote. 'I respectfully urge you to support legislative efforts to do so."
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Source: FactCheck on 2020 Trump Research Book
Donald Trump on Environment
: Mar 5, 2020
I've cut more regulations than any President in history
Q: What can you do to lead the EPA to focus more on compliance, instead of punitive enforcement?TRUMP: I love the question, because our EPA is much different.
We're very tough, but we get things done and we're taking regulations off like nobody has ever seen.
I've cut regulations more than any other President in the history of our country, and I did it in less than three years. One of the reasons the economy is so strong is because of what we did with regulations.
If the other side--we'll call it the "other side," affectionately--got in, they would have made regulations much, much tougher.
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Source: Fox News Town Halls at the Scranton Cultural Center
Marianne Williamson on Environment
: Apr 14, 2019
Deal with factory farming by having environmentalists at EPA
We would have, if I were president of the United States, a world-class environmentalist at the head of the EPA. No more chemical company executives heading the EPA. No more oil company heading the EPA.
We need to deal with the animal factory farming. Enough with these incremental changes here and these incremental changes there.
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Source: CNN Town Hall 2020 Democratic primary
Donald Trump on Environment
: Dec 11, 2018
WOTUS 2018: limited definition of protected waterways
Vast amounts of wetlands and thousands of miles of waterways would no longer be federally protected by the Clean Water Act under a new proposal by the Trump administration. The proposal would change the EPA's definition of "waters of the United States,"
or WOTUS, limiting the types of waterways that fall under federal protection to major waterways, their tributaries, and adjacent wetlands. The change aims to "provide states and landowners the certainty they need to manage their natural resources and
grow local economies," said the EPA acting administrator.Republican opponents, agriculture groups and real estate developers have decried the Obama administration's 2015 rule--which included smaller streams and tributaries--as a regulatory overreach.
As a candidate and president, Donald Trump painted the Obama-era rule in a similar light, calling it "one of the worst examples of federal regulation," and making its repeal and revision a priority for his administration.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: NPR.org on 2018 Trump Administration, "EPA Water Protection"
Joe Maldonado on Environment
: May 15, 2018
Fight EPA regulatory over-reach
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Fight EPA regulatory over-reach"?
A: Yes.
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Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Oklahoma Governor candidate
Bernie Sanders on Environment
: Apr 1, 2018
Leave a planet to our kids that is healthy & habitable
Q: You sit on Environment Committee and you've been a harsh critic of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. He's facing a number of questions about ethics--SANDERS: The issue goes well beyond that problem. Climate change is already devastating, and yet we
have a president and a head of the EPA who do not even recognize reality of climate change. And over the last number of years we have made success against air pollution and against water pollution. We have made some success in transforming our energy
system. And the idea to go back and listen to the short term needs of the coal industry or the oil industry makes no sense to me at all. Look, here is the truth. What the scientific community is telling us is that climate change is one of the great
environmental crises facing this planet. And if we don't get a handle on that, we're going to leave a planet to our kids that is not healthy or habitable. We've got to address that. The Trump administration is moving in exactly the wrong direction.
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Source: CBS Face the Nation 2018 interviews of 2020 hopefuls
Donald Trump on Energy & Oil
: Feb 23, 2018
End war on coal: it's important for our defense
We have ended the war on American energy, we were in war. And we have ended the war on beautiful, clean, coal, one of our great natural resources. Very important for our defense, coal, very important for our defense, because we have it. We don't have to
send it through pipes, we don't have to get it from foreign countries. We have more than anybody. And they wanted to end it, and our miners have been mistreated and are not being mistreated anymore. We're doing tremendous business.
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Source: Vox.com blog, "Trump at CPAC 2018"
Donald Trump on Energy & Oil
: Jun 4, 2017
Withdraw from Paris Agreement, to put America first
Q: On the Paris climate agreement: Pres. Trump said this on the decision to withdraw from the agreement:(VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: The Paris agreement handicaps the United States' economy in order to win praise from the very foreign capitals and global
activists that have long sought to gain wealth at our country's expense. They don't put America first. I do, and I always will.
(END VIDEO) Q: And here's the argument by the EPA administrator:
(VIDEO CLIP) SCOTT PRUITT: It is a failed deal to
begin with. And even if all of the targets were met by all nations across the globe, it only reduced the temperature by less than two-tenths of one degree.
(END VIDEO) Q [to former V.P. Al Gore]: Less than two-tenths of one degree, President Trump
made a similar argument.
GORE: Well, first of all, it's not true. Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen much faster than you thought they could.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: CNN 2017 interviews of 2020 hopefuls
Jill Stein on Energy & Oil
: Oct 9, 2016
Halt any investment in fossil fuel infrastructure
Q: On Climate Change: Is human activity causing climate change? Should government limit greenhouse gas emissions?Clinton: Yes on both: "an urgent threat and a defining challenge of our time." Supports EPA coal plant restrictions.
Trump:
No on both. "Climate change is a hoax." "Cancel Paris climate agreement." Opposes EPA coal plant restrictions.
Johnson: Humans probably cause climate change, but not the role of government to regulate.
Stein: Yes on both. "Halt any investment
in fossil fuel infrastructure."
Q: On Climate change: Support renewable energy subsidies?
Clinton: Yes.
Trump: No. Let market decide.
Johnson: Unclear.
In 2012 endorsed a resolution for renewable tax credits, more recently said wouldn't subsidize wind energy.
Stein: Yes. Enact an emergency Green New Deal.
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Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 Presidential race
Donald Trump on Energy & Oil
: Oct 9, 2016
EPA is killing energy companies; 1,000 years of clean coal
Q: What steps will your energy policy take to meet our energy needs, while at the same time remaining environmentally friendly and minimizing job loss for fossil power plant workers? A: The EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, is killing these energy
companies. And foreign companies are now coming in buying our--buying so many of our different plants and then re-jiggering the plant so that they can take care of their oil. I'm all for alternative forms of energy, including wind, including solar,
etc. But we need much more than wind and solar. Clinton wants to put all the miners out of business. There is a thing called clean coal. Coal will last for 1,000 years in this country. Now we have natural gas and so many other things because of
technology. We have found over the last seven years tremendous wealth right under our feet. I will bring our energy companies back. They'll be able to compete. They'll make money. They'll pay off our national debt.
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Source: Second 2016 Presidential Debate at Washington University
Donald Trump on Free Trade
: Oct 9, 2016
China is dumping steel all over & killing steel companies
Q: How will your energy policy meet our energy needs, while at the same time remaining environmentally friendly and minimizing job loss?TRUMP: Energy is under siege by the Obama administration. The EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, is killing
these energy companies. And you take a look at what's happening to steel and the cost of steel and China dumping vast amounts of steel all over the United States, which essentially is killing our steelworkers and our steel companies.
It's an absolute disgrace.
CLINTON: First of all, China is illegally dumping steel in the United States and Donald Trump is buying it to build his buildings, putting steelworkers and American steel plants out of business.
That's something that I fought against as a senator and that I would have a trade prosecutor to make sure that we don't get taken advantage of by China on steel or anything else.
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Source: Second 2016 Presidential Debate at WUSTL in St. Louis MO
Bernie Sanders on Environment
: Nov 15, 2015
Climate change will lead to international security crises
Q: You mentioned that climate change in fact is related to terrorism. Can you talk about that?SANDERS: Well, that's what the CIA and the Department of Defense tell us. If we are going to see an increase in drought and flooding and extreme weather as a
result of climate change, what that means is that peoples all over the world are going to be fighting over limited natural resources. When you have drought, when people can't grow their crops, they're going to migrate into cities.
And when people migrate into cities, and they don't have jobs, there's going to be a lot more instability, a lot more unemployment. And people will be subject to the types of propaganda that al Qaeda and ISIS are using right now. I think, when we
talk about all of the possible ravages of climate change, which, to my mind, is just a huge planetary crisis, increased international conflict is one of the issues that we have got to appreciate will happen.
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Source: CBS Face the Nation 2015 coverage:2016 presidential hopefuls
Donald Trump on Environment
: Oct 18, 2015
Cut the EPA; what they do is a disgrace
Q: Would you cut departments?TRUMP: Environmental Protection, what they do is a disgrace. Every week they come out with new regulations.
Q: Who's going to protect the environment?
TRUMP: We'll be fine with the environment. We can leave a little bit, but you can't destroy businesses.
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Source: Fox News Sunday 2015 Coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Donald Trump on Budget & Economy
: Oct 4, 2015
Cut defense budget, & entire EPA & Dept. of Education
Q: Are you going to get rid of entire departments?TRUMP: I would get rid of some. For example, the Department of Education. I would certainly get rid of a lot of it. I want local education.
We could save a fortune with Environmental Protection--
Q: what is another agency you'd get rid of?
TRUMP: Even in the military, I'm going to build a military that's much stronger than it is right now.
But you know what? We can do it for a lot less.
Q: So you believe you can spend less money on defense than we do today?
TRUMP: I think we can make our defense much stronger and spend somewhat less money.
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Source: Meet the Press 2015 interview moderated by Chuck Todd
Kamala Harris on Civil Rights
: Apr 1, 2015
Ensure marriage equality for all Californians
She has fought to reduce elementary school truancy in California, preserve the state's natural resources, and ensure marriage equality for all Californians.
She has also worked with the technology industry to improve online privacy and safety.
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Source: 2016 Senate campaign website, KamalaHarris.org
Mike Pence on Energy & Oil
: Jan 13, 2015
All-of-the-above energy strategy instead of EPA over-reach
Because low-cost energy is vital to our economy, we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy, including energy efficiency.
But know this, Indiana is a pro-coal state, and we must continue to oppose the overreaching schemes of the EPA until we bring this war on coal to an end.
Click for Mike Pence on other issues.
Source: State of the State address to 2015 Indiana Legislature
Jill Stein on Environment
: Dec 21, 2011
Environment & economy are interdependent; not at odds
Q: Should natural resources be protected, or be used for the benefit of humanity?A: By protecting natural resources, we are protecting humanity. Humanity is completely screwed, very soon, if we fail to protect these resources. They should be used
sustainably for the benefit of humanity. The environment and the economy are interdependent--they are not at odds with each other. In order to have a prosperous economy, you need to have the healthy environment to support it: for energy, for food, and
for other aspects. The idea that they're pitted against each other is a concoction of misinformation from those who exploit the environment. We allow them to exploit the environment at our own peril, as we see from everything from air pollution and its
health impact, to water shortages, to flooding, to extreme storms. These are not just happening in the Third World: we are beginning to pay the price for this very misguided, short-term, short-sighted exploitation of the environment.
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Source: 2011 AmericansElect interview questionnaire with Jill Stein
Donald Trump on Free Trade
: Dec 5, 2011
Repatriate jobs that China has been stealing
I'm sick of always reading about outsourcing. Why aren't we talking about "onshoring"? We need to bring manufacturing jobs back home where they belong. Onshoring, or "repatriation," is a way for us to take back the jobs China is stealing.
We know that China's wages are increasing. Also, China lacks certain natural resources that we have in abundance. If we exploit those two key facts, we can begin making the case to companies that they should bring their manufacturing facilities home to
America.Onshoring has huge potential. That's why Congress need to pass Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf's bill called the "Bring Jobs Back to
America Act" (H.R.516) to help expand the onshoring movement and get American jobs back where they belong--here in America.
Click for Donald Trump on other issues.
Source: Time to Get Tough, by Donald Trump, p. 37-39
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