So we are all familiar that Senator Mary Landrieu (D. LA) is one of the most oil-friendly Democrats in the Senate. She hails from a big oil state. But her opponent, Congressman Bill Cassidy (R. LA-6), makes Landrieu look like an environmentalist by comparison:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/...
Meanwhile, the Energy and Power Subcommittee held a hearing Friday on draft legislation sponsored by Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La. According to a summary of the measure, Cassidy’s bill would ban the Environmental Protection Agency from finalizing energy-related regulations, such as one requiring cleaner gasoline, that are expected to cost more than $1 billion if the Energy Department determines that the rule would cause “significant adverse effects to the economy.”
This measure, called the Energy Consumers Relief Act, seeks to constrain EPA’s cost-benefit analysis, which weighs industry costs and public-health benefits. That basic goal of prioritizing economic concerns first and foremost was also expressed in a pair of bills the House passed last session, including the Stop the War on Coal Act that the committee introduced in September 2012, which required, among other things, an interagency committee to analyze the cumulative economic impacts of certain environmental rules. Another bill, the Reins Act, which the House also passed last Congress, would require Congress to approve every major regulation. - National Journal, 4/15/13
Here's what else Cassidy's bill calls for:
http://theadvocate.com/...
The energy secretary also would have to make additional energy and economic determinations about the rule and it would be defeated if the energy secretary decides it would negatively impact the economy.
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., are backing the legislation. The two chairmen are expected to help move the legislation through their committees and to the House floor.
“Dr. Cassidy has introduced commonsense legislation that will protect consumers against higher energy prices by providing greater transparency for EPA’s billion-dollar, energy-related rules,” Upton and Whitfield said in a joint statement. - The Advocate, 4/18/13
Cassidy believe the EPA does more harm than good:
http://www.utilityproducts.com/...
"The EPA's power to regulate is also the power to destroy," said Congressman Cassidy. "In Louisiana, we know you must be pro-business to be pro-environment and you must be pro-environment to be pro-business. We also know that as families benefit from a strong energy economy, they become powerful and vocal advocates for a cleaner environment. It makes no sense for the EPA to issue burdensome regulations that will hurt our energy economy and cost American families thousands of jobs."
Cassidy continued, "this bill would mandate the EPA report to Congress on cost, job impacts and energy price changes before implementing new regulations . It's time to stop the EPA from hurting job creation and American families." - Utility Products, 4/18/13
Cassidy hates the EPA so much that not only does he want to weaken it, he also wants to cut funding for portraits of EPA chief Lisa Jackson:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/...
Portraits of congressional members cost $40,000 a pop and the Republican lawmaker from Louisiana wonders: Why should taxpayers be paying for this?
“At a time of trillion dollar deficits, it is not appropriate to spend thousands of taxpayer dollars on official paintings, Rep. Bill Cassidy wrote, in a letter to the House Appropriations Committee chairman, The Hill reported. “If agency administrators, cabinet secretaries or members of Congress feel it necessary to commission official portraits, they should be responsible for paying for them.”
Mr. Cassidy and congressional colleagues are drumming for support for the Eliminating Government-funding Oil-painting Act, or EGO Act, The Hill reported.
“[Is] it appropriate to spend hundreds of thousands of dollar on official paintings of Lisa Jackson and Tom Vilsack? That’s exactly what’s happening,” Mr. Cassidy wrote, The Hill reported. - Washington Times, 4/18/13
So yeah, this is who Landrieu is up against. By the way, Cassidy was the congressman who admitted that Obamacare and Romneycare are the same thing:
http://thinkprogress.org/...
CONSTITUENT: Is there any difference between the Massachusetts medical care program and Obamacare?
CASSIDY: One of the differences between the Massachusetts medical program and the president’s health care program, the president’s health care program closed its heart and soul to how the Massachusetts program has evolved. Its heart and soul is based on that. In fairness to Governor Romney, he points out that it’s evolved differently than he originally planned. That’s a fair statement. But the fact is that the president plan depends upon that Massachusetts plan as a model. And they’re having all the problems that we can imagine we’re going to have as a country.
CONSTITUENT: Were they very similar?
CASSIDY: Very similar. Very similar. - Think Progress, 4/13/12
It should also be noted that Cassidy received $33,000 oil and gas companies from 2009-2010:
http://www.opencongress.org/...
No doubt that number has gone up a lot in terms of contributions and there's zero doubt they'll be spending big on Cassidy's campaign. But money is one of the few things Landrieu has to worry about:
http://theadvocate.com/...
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., last week touted outpacing her 2014 re-election opponent in fundraising and she noted the support she has from top Republican donors and power brokers such as New Orleans developer Joe Canizaro and Lockport shipyard magnate Boysie Bollinger.
Landrieu’s GOP opponent, Rep. Bill Cassidy, of Baton Rouge, responded in a fundraising letter by calling Bollinger and Canizaro part of “an elite class that supports Mary across the political spectrum … but most of us are not in that elite class.”
Bollinger offered a prepared statement backing Landrieu earlier in the week.
“Any challenger to Sen. Landrieu will have a hard time building support as more and more prominent business leaders back her,” Bollinger stated. “People know that at the end of the day, Mary always fights for our state.” - 4/18/13