Democrats Compare Banning Farm Dust Regulation To 'Fairy Dust' In GOP 'Fantasy' Bill
by Michael McAuliff
10/25/11
WASHINGTON -- Democrats mocked a GOP push to bar tougher regulation of "farm dust" Tuesday, saying the idea that the federal government even wants to do that is a "fantasy," and that Congress might as well prohibit the regulation of "fairy dust."
At issue was a measure sponsored by Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), dubbed the "Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011," that she and other backers say will prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from slapping onerous new burdens on farmers.
But Democrats argue that the EPA has no plans to regulate farm dust -- a position that EPA administrator Lisa Jackson publicly reaffirmed last week -- and that the proposal is just the latest push in the House GOP's ongoing war on environmental regulations.
"This isn't just nonsense, it's pure fantasy," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee where the bill was considered.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) went further, saying that since the problem being addressed was fictional, perhaps the committee should also combat the spread of pixie dust.
"There is no plan to regulate farm dust anymore than there is to regulate fairy dust," Markey said in his opening statement. "There is no attempt to accomplish that goal," he said, comparing the proposed measure to a bill written in the 1990s to combat the phony problem spread in a then-rampant urban myth that the Post Office intended to tax email messages.
"This bill should be relegated to the dustbin of similar urgent urban legends," Markey said, before demanding, tongue in cheek, that EPA assistant administrator Regina McCarthy forswear regulation of fairy dust.
"Since I am sure that many little girls all over America care about this deeply, can you commit to me that EPA will never try to regulate fairy dust, or pixie dust, because, if not, we may just want to amend the legislation in order to protect us against the threat which could be posed by EPA or other regulatory agencies seeking to move into other fictional areas, such as the legislation which is being considered here?" he asked...
For the full article, go to:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/farm-dust-regulation-gop-bill_n_1031215.html
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This is the sort of crap that the Republican Congress is wasting their time, and taxpayers money on, while Obama's jobs bill continues to be ignored.
OCU
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