Never mind this year’s wicked weather. One of the biggest concerns for environmental and public health groups in 2011 was, in fact, opposition in the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to a new report released Thursday, in 2011 the House launched an unprecedented barrage of attacks on a whole range of environmental protection policies. It claims the House in the 112th Congress is arguably the “most anti-environment House in the history of Congress.”
The voting record was prepared for Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, including Reps. Henry Waxman (Calif.), Edward Markey (Mass.) and Howard Berman (Calif.). It takes a detailed look at various measures the House considered to either weaken or block environmental protections or regulations — from air and water quality standards to measures that address climate change.
“The House Republican assault on the environment has been reckless and relentless,” said Rep. Waxman. “In bill after bill, for one industry after another, the House has been voting to roll back environmental laws and endanger public health.”
Altogether, the House voted 191 times to weaken environmental protections. According to the report, the House averaged more than one anti-environment vote for every day the chamber was in session this year. Go here for the full report.
