House Republicans get early warning from California Sen. Barbara Boxer

House Republicans, meet Sen. Barbara Boxer.

The California Democrat who chairs the Senate environment committee pledged Thursday to "do everything in my power" to fight any efforts by the House's new GOP majority to weaken environmental laws.

"Let me send a clear message" to  Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), who has taken over the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee from her ally, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills). "I will use every tool available to me as chairman of this committee and as senator from California to oppose any legislative effort that threatens the health or safety or well-being of the people of America."

Speaking in her panel’s hearing room, Boxer said job creation would be a priority of her Environment and Public Works Committee, which will write the next big transportation bill. "A healthy environment and a thriving economy go hand in hand," she said, noting that Republican President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency.

"This committee will remain vigilant to ensure that politics and special interests do not interfere with the ability of the EPA and the states to act in accordance with the law to respond to what the scientists are telling us," Boxer said.

Her comments come days after Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released a copy of a letter he has sent to business leaders seeking help "identifying existing and proposed regulations that have negatively impacted job growth."

Sean Bonyun, a spokesman for Upton, said in response to Boxer's remarks: "With Michigan and California both suffering from 12.4% unemployment, Fred is fighting to put folks back to work.  Jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate and will continue to flee overseas without the proper, sensible EPA oversight that has been absent the last two years. In this new Congress, Fred will use every resource available to protect American workers and our economy by rolling back the job-killing GHG [greenhouse gas] regulations."

Any measures passed in the Republican-controlled House on party-line votes are likely to face trouble in the Senate, where Democrats hold a majority. 

Related:

GOP plans attacks on EPA and climate scientists

GOP Rep. Darrell Issa to head committee on oversight and government reform

-- Richard Simon in Washington

Photo: Sen. Barbara Boxer speaks at an event at USC in September. Credit: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times   

Comments

[Tom, Long Beach, California]

pelosi wanna be

[Robere210]

Boxer looks like she's had one too many face-lifts. Scary!

[Angela Birch]

MS, Boxer obviously does matter. She got elected,the GOP Candidate lost. Senators will not pass the wet dreams of the loony right. The Senate is in Democratic hands. Yup she matters, and a lot more than Issa who has a much smaller vote in the bills that pass in the house only to die in the senate.

[Paul Routh]

The Sheep Look Up is not just a title of an old sci-fi book but what Republicans (please note I didn't say conservatives as they are not one and the same) want the people of California to become. Unfortnately for them most of us actually have some respect for scientists and are looking farther into the future than the next presidential election. There are reasons why most scientists when asked describe themselves as Democrats or not affiliated with any political party and hardly none as Republicans (though they may characterize themselves as conservative, which Republicans are not anymore. In the instance of global warming Republicans are on the side of making a buck now no matter how much they have to bash scientists to do it.

[ms]

Boxer...You don't matter anymore.

[Joe Black]

I'm so disapponted in you Pat-you obviously like to be told what to do by out-of-touch millionaires! Like it or not we think differently here in California. A big reason people come to live in California is because of its natural beauty, and Senator Boxer has always fought to maintain that. What has Carly done for our state Pat???

[Pat]

Dear Barbara, you dried up tree hugger, We'll get you next time.
How can California have 35 million people and allow this idiot to ruin one of the previous great states??

[Paul Espinoza]

Issa and Upton: Don't you still know that SALES promote job growth?

And you're businessmen? As for growing jobs, how about you and your buddies at the House promulgate legislation that any job that is sent abroad will be met with STIFF tariffs. Don't put your money mouths in it, put TEETH in the legislation.

As for regulations (and I speak as a small business), when are you going to stop large businesses from buying small businesses and then the large businesses can compete in the Govt small business set-aside market? The way it works now, small businneses in these cases are no more than shills. The worst part of the regulation is that these large companies will have the small business label for 20 years!!!

...pretty much what you guys are now for large business!

Example? How about Mantech and MTCSC in Chula Vista, CA? Issa, where were you when this happened? This is the regulation at work IN YOUR BACK YARD!!! Where's your vision...surely it isn't with small business.

[One Off]

Similar to TV no longer showing unruly fans who run onto baseball fields, making their act rather irrelevant, if the LA Times did not mention Boxer, she, too, would become rather irrelevant.

[MissMarple]

Great. He can join with the Democrats this time, to repeal the tax incentives to send American jobs overseas. The Republicans in the Senate killed the bill last session. Maybe he can help with that this session.

[commander]

The enemy with in Sen. Barbara Boxer and
THE WEAK-KNEED REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRAT,
It would be easier for the Devil to go to church and cross himself with holy water than for these people to comprehend the ideas which are accepted facts to us today. The commander