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Ag senators expressed concerns to McCarthy
Republicans on the Senate Agriculture Committee met this week with EPA administrator Gina McCarthy to express their concerns about the agency’s “Waters of the U.S.” proposal and other EPA actions that are many view as “anti-agriculture”.
Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns, who was in the meeting, describes McCarthy’s attitude as “determined”.
“She was polite and she listened to us, but at the end of the day I’m not certain that we moved the ball down the field at all,” Johanns says. “She’s determined to regulate. I think she believes she has the power to do that and she’s going to do it.”
Johanns suggested to McCarthy that she scrap the rule and start over. But he doubts that will happen.
“I do think what’s happening here is the Obama Administration recognizes that they only have a couple years left—and I just think you’re going to see a blizzard of regulations over the next two years and five months,” says Johanns. “So I just think this battle will continue.”
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who was also in that meeting with McCarthy, says it did little to alleviate his concerns that the agency isn’t listening to the people its rules will directly impact.
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