The Anti-Environment Record of the 112th House of Representatives

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Last Updated November 14, 2012
Database of Anti-Environment Votes in the 112th Congress
Committee on Energy and Commerce, Democratic Staff

In the 112th Congress, the House of Representatives voted 317 times to block action to address climate change, to halt efforts to reduce air and water pollution, to undermine protections for public lands and coastal areas, and to weaken the protection of the environment in other ways.

Click here for a report released by the Democratic staff of the Energy and Commerce. See below for a searchable database of the anti-environment votes.

Total Anti-Environment Votes Under GOP House Majority in the 112th Congress:

317

Votes targeted at the Environmental Protection Agency: 145

  • Votes to block actions that prevent pollution: 137
  • Votes targeted at the Department of Energy: 55
  • Votes to defund or repeal clean energy initiatives: 57
  • Votes to promote offshore drilling: 47

Votes to dismantle the Clean Air Act: 95

  • Votes targeted at the Department of the Interior: 81
  • Votes to undermine protections for public lands and wilderness: 67
  • Votes to block actions that address climate change: 53
  • Votes to dismantle the Clean Water Act: 38
Title Sponsor Statutes Agencies Description Vote Date Action Result
H.R. 2273 Waxman (D-CA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires state programs to ensure that human health and the environment are protected
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/14/2011 H.Amdt. 838 Defeated
171 - 236
H.R. 2273 Markey (D-MA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires wet impoundments to meet minimum requirements for location and design to ensure safety
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/14/2011 H.Amdt. 839 Defeated
173 - 231
H.R. 2273 Markey (D-MA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires public notice and opportunity to comment before a state may waive any of the minimum criteria in the bill
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/14/2011 H.Amdt. 840 Defeated
185 - 223
H.R. 2273 Rush (D-IL) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Environmental Protection Agency Allows EPA to enforce the requirements of a state permit programs if the state fails to do so
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/14/2011 H.Amdt. 841 Defeated
164 - 241
H.R. 2273 Jackson Lee (D-TX) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires a report to Congress on the human health and environmental impacts of state permit programs for coal ash
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/14/2011 H.Amdt. 842 Defeated
174 - 235
H.R. 2273 Cicilline (D-RI) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires high-hazard wet impoundments, the failure of which will probably cause the loss of human life, to implement a warning system to alert first responders and residents of hazardous conditions
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/14/2011 Motion to Recommit Defeated
172 - 238
H.R. 2250 Griffith (R-VA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Nullifies EPA rules that require industrial boilers and incinerators to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants; threatens EPA's ability to issue replacement standards; and delays reductions in toxic air pollution from these sources until 2018 at the earliest
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/13/2011 Final Passage Passed
275 - 142
H.R. 2250 Castor (D-FL) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay action to reduce air pollution from waste incinerators that are within five miles of any school, day care center, playground, or hospital with a maternity ward or neo-natal unit
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/13/2011 Motion to Recommit Defeated
170 - 246
H.R. 2250 Markey (D-MA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay actions to reduce emissions from waste incinerators and boilers if such emissions are increasing the risk of cancer
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/11/2011 H.Amdt. 827 Defeated
166 - 252
H.R. 2250 Schakowsky (D-IL) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Adds finding that mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can damage brain development in infants
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/11/2011 H.Amdt. 829 Defeated
169 - 249
H.R. 2250 Ellison (D-MN) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA can take actions to reduce emissions from waste incinerators and boilers earlier than allowed under the bill
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/11/2011 H.Amdt. 830 Defeated
154 - 261
H.R. 2250 Welch (D-VT) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Adds finding that the American people are exposed to mercury through fish consumption
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/11/2011 H.Amdt. 831 Defeated
169 - 249
H.R. 2250 Jackson Lee (D-TX) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay actions to reduce emissions from waste incinerators and boilers longer than 3 years
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/11/2011 H.Amdt. 832 Defeated
156 - 262
H.R. 2250 Connolly (D-VA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay actions to reduce emissions from waste incinerators and boilers if such emissions are increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disease
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/11/2011 H.Amdt.826 Defeated
168 - 250
H.R. 2681 Cohen (D-TN) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires EPA to take into account reductions in absences from work due to respiratory illnesses when proposing a new compliance date
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/06/2011 H.Amdt. 815 Defeated
172-248
H.R. 2681 Keating (D-MA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Replaces the indefinite extension of compliance dates in the bill with a provision allowing EPA to provide an additional year for compliance if the source can demonstrate a compelling reason
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/06/2011 H.Amdt. 816 Defeated
162 - 257
H.R. 2250 Waxman (D-CA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay actions to reduce emissions from waste incinerators or industrial boilers at chemical facilities, oil refineries, or large manufacturing facilities if these emissions are harming brain development or causing learning disabilities in infants or children.
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/06/2011 H.Amdt. 820 Defeated
167 - 243
H.R. 2250 Rush (D-IL) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that the bill shall not be interpreted to supersede the requirements of sections 112 or 129 of the Clean Air Act, which require reductions in toxic emissions from industrial boilers and incinerators
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/06/2011 H.Amdt. 821 Defeated
156 - 242
H.R. 2250 Hahn (D-CA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA's regulations reducing toxic emissions shall stay in effect for any pollution source located in any of the 10 metropolitan areas of the U.S. with the worst air quality
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/06/2011 H.Amdt. 822 Defeated
151 - 255
H.R. 2250 Doyle (D-PA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Replaces the indefinite extension of compliance dates in the bill with a provision allowing EPA to provide an additional year for compliance if the source can demonstrate a compelling reason
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/06/2011 H.Amdt. 824 Defeated
147 - 251
H.R. 2681 Capps (D-CA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay action to reduce air pollution from cement kilns that are within five miles of any school, day care center, playground, or hospital with a maternity ward or neo-natal unit
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/06/2011 Motion to Recommit Defeated
176 - 247
H.R. 2681 Sullivan (R-OK) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Nullifies EPA rules that require cement kilns to reduce their emissions of toxic air pollutants; threatens EPA's ability to issue replacement standards; and delays reductions in toxic air pollution from cement kilns unti 2018 at the earliest.
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 Final Passage Passed
262 - 181
H.R. 2681 Waxman (D-CA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay actions to reduce emissions from a cement kiln if those emissions are harming brain development or causing learning disabilities in infants or children.
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 802 Defeated
166 - 246
H.R. 2681 Rush (D-IL) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that the bill shall not be interpreted to superscede the requirements of section 112 of the Clean Air Act, which requires reductions of toxic emissions from cement kilns
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 803 Defeated
162 - 251
H.R. 2681 Schakowsky (D-IL) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Adds a finding that mercury pollution from cement kilns is a potent neurotoxin that can damage the development of an infant’s brain
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 805 Defeated
175 - 248
H.R. 2681 Pallone (D-NJ) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that the bill shall not go into effect if it interferes with the goal of reducing mercury exposure in the HHS report “Healthy People 2020”
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 808 Defeated
166 - 253
H.R. 2681 Jackson Lee (D-TX) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires compliance no later than three years after a final rule is promulgated
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 809 Defeated
162 - 262
H.R. 2681 Quigley (D-IL) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay actions to reduce emissions from any cement kiln if such emissions are increasing the risk of cancer
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 810 Defeated
175 - 248
H.R. 2681 Connolly (D-VA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA shall not delay actions to reduce emissions from any cement kiln if such emissions are causing respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses and deaths
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 811 Defeated
176 - 248
H.R. 2681 Welch (D-VT) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Adds findings that people are exposed to mercury from industrial sources through the consumption of fish containing mercury and that every state has issued at least one mercury advisory for fish consumption
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 812 Defeated
174 - 249
H.R. 2681 Moore (D-WI) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that the bill does not go into effect unless the President certifies that implementation will not adversely affect public health and will not have a disproportionately negative impact on subpopulations most at risk from hazardous air pollutants
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 813 Defeated
167 - 256
H.R. 2681 Ellison (D-MN) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires EPA to publish the estimated public health impacts of delaying the rules as required by the Act
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		10/05/2011 H.Amdt. 814 Defeated
170 - 252
H.R. 2401 Whitfield (R-KY) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Delays environmental rules pending completion of a study of their cumulative impacts and changes the factors that must be considered in setting Clean Air Act standards
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 Final Passage Passed
249 - 169
H.R. 2608 Graves (R-MO) Department of Energy Cuts DOE funding for making loans to support the manufacture of cleaner vehicles and issuing renewable energy loan guarantees
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 Final Passage Defeated
219 - 203
H.R. 2401 Welch (D-VT) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Provides that EPA regulations are reviewed by an interagency committee with balanced membership that considers the benefits to public health of EPA rules
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 H.Amdt. 790 Defeated
173 - 236
H.R. 2401 McNerny (D-CA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires the interagency committee to examine the impact of EPA regulations on on clean energy jobs and clean energy companies
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 H.Amdt. 791 Defeated
184 - 229
H.R. 2401 Capps (D-CA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires an analysis of birth and developmental defects and infant mortality caused by pollution exposure resulting from delay of environmental regulations
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 H.Amdt. 793 Defeated
195 - 221
H.R. 2401 Hastings (D-FL) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Excludes all rules that have undergone a cost-benefit analysis from duplicative analysis
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 H.Amdt. 796 Defeated
165 - 254
H.R. 2401 Connolly (D-VA) Environmental Protection Agency Requires the interagency committee to study policies that will lead to creation of jobs in the clean energy sector
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 H.Amdt. 797 Defeated
186 - 232
H.R. 2401 Whitfield (R-KY) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Nullifies the “Utility MACT” and “Cross-State Air Pollution” rules, which reduce soot, smog, mercury, and toxic air pollution from power plants
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 H.Amdt. 799 Passed
234 - 188
H.R. 2401 Latta (R-OH) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Reverses 40 years of clean air policy, by requiring EPA to determine what level of air pollution is “safe” based upon industry costs
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 H.Amdt. 800 Passed
227 - 192
H.R. 2401 Richardson (D-CA) Diesel Emission Reduction Act Environmental Protection Agency Restores authorization for funding for the Diesel Emission Reduction Act
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 H.Amdt. 801 Defeated
Voice Vote
H.R. 2401 McCollum (D-MN) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Requires EPA to develop and implement a strategic plan to protect the Great Lakes from toxic air pollution
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		09/23/2011 Motion to Recommit Defeated
180 - 233
H.R. 2584 Richardson (D-CA) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Restores some funding for EPA clean air grants to state and local air pollution control agencies
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		07/28/2011 H.Amdt. 760 Defeated
168 - 258
H.R. 2584 Dicks (D-WA) Department of Interior Strikes a rider exempting certain livestock management activities from NEPA
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		07/27/2011 H.Amdt. 749 Defeated
Voice Vote
H.R. 2584 Dicks (D-WA) Endangered Species Act Department of Interior Strikes a rider blocking judicial review of any rule delisting gray wolves in Wyoming or the Western Great Lakes
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		07/27/2011 H.Amdt. 750 Defeated
174 - 250
H.R. 2584 Dicks (D-WA) National Environmental Policy Act Environmental Protection Agency Strikes a rider exempting certain livestock management activities from NEPA
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		07/27/2011 H.Amdt. 751 Defeated
Voice Vote
H.R. 2584 Moran (D-VA) Department of Interior Strikes a rider blocking funds for DOI Wildlands policy
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		07/27/2011 H.Amdt. 753 Defeated
Voice Vote
H.R. 2584 Pompeo (R-KS) Clean Air Act Environmental Protection Agency Cuts funding for EPA's greenhouse gas registry.
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		07/27/2011 H.Amdt. 757 Passed
235 - 191
H.R. 2584 Richardson (D-CA) Diesel Emission Reduction Act Environmental Protection Agency Restores some funding for EPA diesel emissions reduction grants
Floor debate: TEXT | VIDEO 		07/27/2011 H.Amdt. 758 Defeated
193 - 232