President’s EPA and Oil Tax Plans—-D.O.A. on Capitol Hill Says Sen. Inhofe

Calling it a “power grab,” U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe also says the President’s budget proposal to increase funding for loans and grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and removing some from states won’t happen.,

“Don’t worry about it,” he said in an interview this week with OK Energy Today. “His budget is dead on arrival.”

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works had earlier criticized the President’s plan to short change the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by $250 million from the 2016 enacted levels.

“What we may even do—the Republicans put it out there for a vote and force Democrats to vote on it,” added Inhofe. “But don’t worry about it. That’s not his function.”

While the President is attempting to give more funding and more authority to the EPA, Inhofe said he and other Republicans are fighting it.

“In our budget, we’ve made dramatic cuts in the EPA in running our lives.Talk to businesses and one of the big problems they see is overregulation of the EPA,” continued the senator. “Talk to farmers and ranchers and that’s the biggest fear they have.”

He also believes the President’s headline-grabbing plan for a $10-a-barrel tax on oil will face the same fate.

“It’s dead on arrival. Remember by the way, that translated into about 25 cents a gallon,” said the senator. “It’s not a free ride but it’s not gonna happen. We’re not gonna worry about that.”

The Senator said it’s all about messaging by the President to try and get his environmental message across.

“But don’t worry about it.”

Listen to Jerry Bohnen’s interview of the Senator.

Click here for audio