"White House Issues Veto Threats for Two GOP Environment Bills"

"The White House has threatened to veto two GOP measures taking aim at Obama administration climate efforts.

Lawmakers will consider Wednesday a bill from Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) allowing states to opt out of the the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) climate rule for power plants and block its implementation until legal challenges against it are exhausted. Republicans say the bill is necessary to block a broad new EPA rule they warn will raise energy prices and threaten some energy sector jobs.

But in a statement of administration policy issued Tuesday night, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said the bill would give states too much power to avoid federal regulations under the Clean Air Act. The statement said the bill’s legal provisions are “premature and unnecessary” because the EPA has yet to finalize the rule and Congress hasn’t before blocked implementing an air regulation during judicial review."

Devin Henry reports for The Hill June 23, 2015.