Lamar Smith, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, has declared war on the Obama administration, NASA and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to undermine attempts to prevent dangerous climate change, report Kyla Mandel and Brendan Montague from Washington DC, USA.
Speaking at the Heartland Instituteโs climate denier conference in Washington DC today, the Texas congressman described how three subpoenas for EPA staff emails and texts have now been issued following claims about โsecret emailsโ and personal use of email accounts by theย agency.ย
This follows a similar-spirited freedom of information request submitted to the EPA by Chris Horner, a senior legal fellow for the Energy and Environment Legal Institute supported by the ExxonMobil funded Competitive Enterpriseย Institute.
Smith, chairman of the science, space and technology committee said at the conference that โRegulation should be based on sound science not scienceย fiction.โ
โThe science is clear and overwhelming but not in the way the President says. The fact is there is little evidence that climate change causes extreme weatherย events.โ
Clean Powerย Plan
Smithโs speech comes only two days after a federal court dismissed a lawsuit by the nationโs largest coal companies and 14 coal-producing states that sought to block President Obamaโs clamp-down on power plantย emissions.
โThe presidentโs power plan is nothing more than a power play. It will give the government more control over Americansโ daily lives. These regulations stifle economic growth, destroy jobs and increase energy prices,โ saidย Smith.
He continued: โThe EPA justify their dictatorial approach by claiming regulations will slow global climate change and reduce carbon emissions. But heavy handed regulation and arbitrary emission targets will do lasting damage to our economy all for little environmentย impact.โ
Rep @LamarSmithTX21 is speaking at #ICCC10. He’s just announced that he’s preparing โthird subpoenaโ for the EPA. pic.twitter.com/RAumelMCLh
โ Heartland Institute (@HeartlandInst) June 11, 2015
In an effort to counter the EPAโs โmost aggressive regulatory agenda in its 40 year history,โ Smithโs Secret Science Reform Act was passed by the House in March to prohibit the EPA form implementing a regulation unless it makes public all related data, scientific analyses andย materials.ย
Smith argues the bill will increase transparency and stop the EPA using โhidden and flawedโ science. However, 40 scientific institutions and universities have now opposed the bill arguing it will severely hamper the EPA form carrying out its mission to protect public health and theย environment.
Lord Monckton praised Smithโs speech as โthe best informed, most passionate and splendid speeches on climate I have every heard from anyย politician.โ
Monckton joined Smith in his attack on science in calling for a Congressional investigation into the conduct of the Smithsonian and Harvard University in their treatment of Willie Soon, who failed to disclose conflicts of interest in his research funded byย ExxonMobil.
Cut Off Theย Money
In response to audience calls to โcut off the moneyโ from climate change research Smith highlighted the fact that NASAโs budget on earth science was cut by 40 percent just last week. This was met with cheers and applause from theย room.
He added: โThe second cut we made that you will appreciate [is to the] National Science Foundation, [which] we also have jurisdiction for, we reset [its] priorities, which we are entitled toย do.ย
โWe moved a lot of money out of the social science into the hard sciences that typically bear results. Weโre trying to get the NSF out of the business of awarding grants such as ยฃ800,000 for someone to write an off-broadway musical on climateย change.โ
Heartlandย Activists
Earlier in the day, the conference was kicked-off by Senator James Inhofe, who now chairs the Senate environment and public works committee despite calling global warming โthe greatest hoax every perpetrated on the Americanย people.โ
Inhofe urged Heartland activists to go out and fight against what he called โthe myth of globalย warming.โ
โIf you look at the Republican [Presidential] candidates, theyโre all denying this stuff,โ Inhofe said. โTheyโre all with people in thisย room.โ
He continued: โThis is where you guys come in now, youโre all activists, I really meanย that.โ
Inhofe, whose message was that โGod is still up thereโ, later told reports that the Pope Francis should butt out of climate change: โThe pope ought to stay with his job, and weโll stay withย ours.โ
He concluded his speech with a call to arms: โWeโve got a country weโve got to save, and weโve got to do it together. If you join us, if we do this as a team, weโll be doing the Lordโs work and he will richly bless you for it.ย Amen.โ
Subscribe to our newsletter
Stay up to date with DeSmog news and alerts