Cathy-
I spoke with Harkin's office yesterday. He was in Africa and was
assured by Daschle that there wouldn't be any close votes this week.
Only after he scheduled meeting with a few foreign heads of state was
the Edwards amendment scheduled.
-Amber
Amber Hard
Iowa PIRG
-----Original Message-----
From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of cathy livingston
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 2:11 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Clean Air Alert! phone calls needed
Where was Harkin? His absence is extremely disturbing on a vote of this
importance. Did Grassley vote againest the amendment? I assume he
did...but his office is always very gracious when I call, and I always
receive a written response from him after I have contacted him. I
rarely
hear a response from Harkin's office.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Amber Hard" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 11:56 AM
Subject: Re: Clean Air Alert! phone calls needed
> The senate just defeated the Edwards amendment 46-50. Of the 4
> Absences, all 4 were confirmed votes in favor of the Edwards
> Amendment.
>
> This is an impressive vote count on a high-stakes issue, even though
> we ultimately lost the day.
>
> Senator Harkin was one of the absent Senators. I don't know yet why
> he wasn't there, but this vote shows that we can't take his support
> for granted.
>
> ---- Original Message ----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Clean Air Alert! phone calls needed
> Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 19:05:16 -0600
>
> >Tomorrow (probably) Senator Inhofe will introduce a compromise
> >amendment
> >to the good Edwards amendment. This amendment will let the Bush
> >Administration rollbacks go into effect, and then require a health
> >effect study after 1 year. If it passes, the Edwards amendment is
> >toothless, and our air will get dirtier.
> >
> >Senator Harkin's office has told me that he is likely to vote for the
> >Edwards amendment. This is good news, but he needs to get calls on
> >the
> >Inhofe amendment. If you haven't called yet, please do so tonight
> >and
> >leave a message that Harkin should OPPOSE the Inhofe amendment, and
> >support the Edwards one.
> >
> >Harkin's office: 202-224-3254
> >
> >Please call right away. These votes are scheduled to start at 8:15
> >our
> >time tomorrow.
> >
> >Amber Hard
> >Iowa PIRG
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements
> >[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eric Uram
> >Sent: Friday, January 17, 2003 9:22 AM
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Clean Air Alert! phone calls needed
> >
> >Clean Air Action Alert!
> >Senate To Vote to Block EPA's New Source Review Rollback
> >
> >Within the next few days, Senator Edwards will offer an amendment to
> >the
> >2003 omnibus appropriations bill that will stop EPA from using FY 03
> >funds appropriated by Congress to implement any of the final
> >weakening
> >changes made to the NSR program last month. The amendment will also
> >require a National Academy of Sciences study on the health impacts of
> >the final NSR rollback rules signed by EPA on December 31.
> >
> >This vote is the most significant action on clean air that has been
> >considered on the floor of the Senate in years. We need to get a
> >flood
> >of calls into key Senate offices NOW. Below is a brief backgrounder
> >on
> >the issue, and a short phone rap to use in calling Senate offices.
> >
> >Senator Harkin has been good on issues like this in the past, and we
> >need to instill resolve in him to address these attempts to roll back
> >clean air AND water programs that protect the health and well-being
> >of
> >everyone in Iowa.
> >
> >Please call today!
> >
> >Background:
> >Today, more than 140 million Americans live in areas where ozone smog
> >levels are high enough to cause health problems such as asthma
> >attacks
> >and declining lung function. Moreover, fine particle pollution known
> >as
> >"soot" cuts short the lives of 30,000 Americans annually. This is to
> >say nothing of the severe environmental impacts of air pollution,
> >including acid rain, mercury contamination and haze in our national
> >parks and wilderness areas.
> >
> >Unfortunately, the Bush Administration is taking giant steps backward
> >on
> >air pollution. A coalition of oil, coal and utility lobbyists have
> >waged
> >a campaign to persuade the Bush Administration to weaken the rules of
> >the Clean Air Act, especially the New Source Review program that
> >requires power plants, refineries and other industries to install
> >state-of-the-art pollution controls when they make major,
> >pollution-increasing plant modifications. Each year, this program has
> >kept more than a million tons of air pollution out of our skies.
> >
> >EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman just signed a set of
> >regulatory
> >changes that add up to the largest regulatory weakening of clean air
> >protections in the 30-year history of the Clean Air Act. These rule
> >changes dramatically weaken the NSR program, and could allow
> >pollution
> >increases from upwards of 17,000 facilities across the nation. On the
> >same day, she issued a proposal that would go even further, weakening
> >the NSR program to the point of uselessness.
> >
> >EPA took this action despite widespread opposition among the public,
> >more than one thousand medical doctors, forty-four U.S. Senators, and
> >more than one hundred members of Congress. Moreover, EPA ignored
> >more
> >than a dozen requests from Congress for detailed analysis of the rule
> >changes' impact on public health, and requests for public hearings
> >and
> >opportunity to comment on the rule changes.
> >
> >Phone rap:
> >As I'm sure you know, the Bush Administration has issued rules that
> >would weaken requirements that aging power plants and oil refineries
> >reduce their air pollution if they expand. One study found that
> >pollution from these sources cause thousands of premature deaths and
> >tens of thousands of asthma attacks annually.
> >
> >Fortunately, Senator John Edwards, (D-NC) is expected to offer an
> >amendment to block these weaker rules that would allow more air
> >pollution until the health and environmental impacts of these new
> >rules
> >are studied. The amendment would be attached to the 2003 omnibus
> >spending bill, which could be considered any day now.
> >
> >Can we count on your support for this amendment on the floor?
> >
> >==================================================
> >
> >Eric Uram
> >Midwest Regional Representative
> >Sierra Club
> >214 North Henry Street
> >Suite 203
> >Madison, WI 53703-2200
> >608-257-4994 office
> >608-347-8008 cell
> >608-257-3513 fax
> >[log in to unmask]
> >
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