WASHINGTON. D.C. – House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) today called on President Barack Obama to clarify reports that during a background briefing with reporters, a senior White House official warned Congress that failure to regulate greenhouse gases would result in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seizing “command-and-control” role over the process.

“If you don't pass this legislation, then ... the EPA is going to have to regulate in this area,” Fox News White House Correspondent Major Garrett reported.  “And it is not going to be able to regulate on a market-based way, so it's going to have to regulate in a command-and-control way, which will probably generate even more uncertainty.”

“Congress is not going to allow the White House to supersede our legislative purview,” Issa said.  “I can only hope that this White House official was speaking out-of-turn and that these comments do not represent the approach President Obama wants to employ.  President Obama should immediately clarify the validity of these comments.  If true, this brings to light a disturbing mentality that will not sit well with anyone on Capitol Hill.  Congress isn’t going to sit idly by and allow the Administration or other nations for that matter try and marginalize our legislative prerogatives.”

Promoting science isn’t just about providing resources – it’s about protecting free and open inquiry.  It’s about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology.  It’s about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it’s inconvenient- especially when it’s inconvenient.” – President Barack Obama (Dec. 17, 2008).

###