One day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating all agencies to eliminate two regulations for every regulation proposed, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla) drafted a bill to “completely abolish” the environmental protection agency (EPA).
The Huffington Post relays that the information was acquired via email, and suggests that by the end of 2018, the government agency may be no more. The email was sent on Tuesday to those who might co-sponsor the legislation. Gaetz wrote:
“Our small businesses cannot afford to cover the costs associated with compliance, too often leading to closed doors and unemployed Americans. It is time to take back our legislative power from the EPA and abolish it permanently.”
After claiming that small businesses cannot keep up with the many regulations outlined by the EPA, Gaetz then asked for potential supports to help “in eliminating this abusive and costly agency.”
While the bill isn’t exactly unexpected, considering Donald Trump and much of his staff believe climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese, it isn’t any less shocking. Before the bill can pass, however, it must find co-sponsors. And as IFLScience points out, the politician might have a difficult time finding others who believe throwing out the EPA entirely is the solution for apparently overzealous regulations on small businesses. If support is received, it still may not be passed by Congress.
If it does become law, the EPA will be even more gutted than it has been in Donald Trump’s week-and-a-half in office. Shortly after being sworn in to serve as President, Donald Trump named Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA. Pruitt is a fossil fuel ally who has sued the government agency in the past. And days after taking office, Trump ordered a “freeze” on the EPA and all its grant programs. The agency hasn’t ‘Tweeted’ since January 19th. Funding for the agency is also expected to be cut substantially.
This week, former head of Trump’s EPA transition team, Myron Ebell, also called for the Endangered Species Act to be “drastically overhauled.” Read more about that here.
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