{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://lamarsmith.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/chairman-smith-to-supreme-court-epa-overstepped-authority", "Chairman Smith to Supreme Court: EPA Overstepped Authority", "2013-12-16", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "TX", "Lamar Smith", "S000583", "lamarsmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today joined Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and several lawmakers in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court challenging EPA\u2019s power to interpret the Clean Air Act (CAA) in a way that bypasses the constitutional role of Congress. The House Science Committee has jurisdiction over science and technology issues related to environmental policy and underlying EPA regulations, including those governing greenhouse gasses.\nChairman Smith: \u201cThe EPA continually attempts to sidestep Congress and expand its role in advancing a partisan political agenda. Costly and burdensome regulations put American jobs at risk. Disregarding the authority of Congress to set environmental policy undermines the democratic process.\u00a0 The Obama administration continues to overstep its constitutional authority as it attempts to enact job-killing regulations.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\nThe central question under consideration is whether EPA\u2019s setting emissions standards for cars and trucks under the Mobile Source program of the CAA automatically triggers permitting requirements for stationary facilities under other CAA programs.\nThe brief explains that to allow the EPA to re-write the law to suit its regulatory agenda \u201cwould, in the words of Judge Kavanaugh, \u2018green-light a significant shift in power from the Legislative Branch to the Executive Branch,\u2019 effectively giving the Executive Branch \u2018the authority to set economic and social policy as it sees fit.\u2019\u201d The brief states: \u201cOur Constitution reserves the power to enact, amend, or repeal statutes to Congress alone.\u201d\nAlong with Chairman Smith and Sen. McConnell, Amici curiae are Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Reps. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.).\u00a0\nAn \u201camicus brief\u201d is a brief filed in a court by someone who is not a party in the case.\u00a0 Such briefs may supplement the legal arguments made by the parties and can aid the court by bringing to its attention aspects of the case not covered by the parties, such as the impact of the issues in the case on\u00a0 third parties.\nOral argument is scheduled for February 24, 2014.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://lamarsmith.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/chairman-smith-to-supreme-court-epa-overstepped-authority"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.613294007256627, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}