Roy Blunt, United States Senator for Missouri

Senator Blunt Takes Lead On Bill To Target Medical Liability Protections, Lower Health Care Costs

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Meets With Missouri Members Of American College Of Emergency Physicians...

Senator Blunt Questions Panel During Army FY 2014 Hearing 5/22/13

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Senator Blunt, Missouri House Colleagues Express Concerns About Obama Administration’s Attempts To Ban New Coal Fired Power Plants

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to President Barack Obama, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) joined five of his Missouri Republican colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to express their continued concerns surrounding the Obama Administration’s proposed regulations, which would effectively ban the construction of new coal fired power plants.

The proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would establish unprecedented Greenhouse Gas (GHG) New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for power plants. In the letter, the Missouri lawmakers called on President Obama and his administration to amend the proposed rule and utilize a technology-based approach to reduce carbon dioxide emissions – an option that would not harm the economy or endanger the nation’s electricity supply.

“If adopted, the proposed EPA rule will effectively ban new coal fired power plants from being built. By EPA’s own admission, the rule as proposed would increase the cost of electricity generated from a coal plant by 80%,” the Missouri Members wrote.

“Already, existing EPA regulations will prevent current sources from making upgrades to improve efficiency and allow for more generation with fewer emissions,” the Members continued. “This two-pronged offense to eliminate the use of coal in this country sets us on a dangerous path as a nation, threatening our economy and killing jobs.”

To read the Missouri lawmakers’ letter, please see below or click here.

May 20, 2013

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Obama:

We write to express our continued concern about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plans to issue greenhouse gas (GHG) new source performance standard regulations for new fossil fuel-based electric generating sources. The proposed rule will set an unprecedented standard under the Clean Air Act, and we urge you to consider an alternative approach to address GHG emissions in a way that will not harm our economy or endanger our electricity supply.

If adopted, the proposed EPA rule will effectively ban new coal fired power plants from being built. By EPA’s own admission, the rule as proposed would increase the cost of electricity generated from a coal plant by 80%. Already, existing EPA regulations will prevent current sources from making upgrades to improve efficiency and allow for more generation with fewer emissions. This two-pronged offense to eliminate the use of coal in this country sets us on a dangerous path as a nation, threatening our economy and killing jobs.

Adding 80% to the cost of electricity would significantly hurt states like Missouri, which is heavily reliant on coal for power. Our state uses coal to power 82% of our electricity, and we enjoy some of the most reliable and affordable power in the nation.

Low-cost electricity is an engine of economic growth. The last thing families and job creators need are higher energy costs as we seek to jumpstart our economy. Further, moving toward expensive and less reliable fuels will only leave us falling behind burgeoning nations such as China and India- who are taking advantage of low-cost coal to meet their energy needs.

Our nation can continue to use coal while lowering emissions at the same time. Coal-based power generation projects are being developed across the country, using state-of-the-art technologies that are laying the foundation for advancements in power plant efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide levels. Because of these advancements in technology, the goal of near-zero emissions from coal is within sight. These advancements are allowing us to modernize the existing coal fleet, improving efficiency, reducing emissions, and continuing to produce low-cost electricity for homes, offices and factories.

We respectfully request that you urge the EPA to amend the proposed rule to exercise the option available to the agency for differentiating standards based on fuel type and to establish supercritical coal generation technology as the performance standard for new coal-based electricity. Such an amendment will create new jobs and strengthen the economy through a technology-based approach towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Sincere Regards,

Roy Blunt United States Senator	Billy Long Member of Congress
Sam Graves Member of Congress	Blaine Luetkemeyer Member of Congress
Vicky Hartzler Member of Congress	Ann Wagner Member of Congress

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Senator Blunt Marks Second Anniversary of Devastating Joplin Tornado

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Blunt Praises Investment To Rebuild Joplin’s 20th Street Corridor...

Senator Blunt Discusses The Two Year Anniversary Of The Joplin Tornado 5/22/13

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) spoke on the Senate floor regarding the two year anniversary of the Joplin, Mo. tornado on Wednesday, May 22, 2013.

KOLR 10: Senator Blunt Discusses FEMA's Role In Moore, Okla. Disaster Recovery 5/21/13

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

MSNBC: Senator Blunt Calls For Accountability From The Obama Administration 5/20/13

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Blunt: 'Take time necessary' to investigate IRS

Bill Lambrecht — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON • A three-day story it is not.

Ten days after the Internal Revenue Service admitted to burdening select groups with delays and red tape, the fury shows no signs of abating either in Congress or among conservative groups.

Tea Party Patriots is inviting protests at noon Tuesday at IRS offices across the country.

Meanwhile, both the Senate and House have scheduled hearings this week that will thrust present and former IRS officials into the white-hot heat of Washington scandal.

On Wednesday, The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has on its griddle Lois Lerner, who headed the IRS unit at the center of the scandal.

Also Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee, headed by retiring Democrat Max Baucus, D-Mont., intends to bring in former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman,

Shulman is sure to be grilled about what he and others in the government knew about the IRS activities before he left the agency in November.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is among those fanning the flames for scrutiny of a matter that fits snugly into the GOP's principle narrative these days about intrusive government.

Speaking today in television interviews, Blunt cheered ongoing investigations, particularly those run in Congress.

"I think there's plenty out there that needs to be talked about and there's no reason not to take the time necessary to let that develop in the way it should develop," he said on MSNBC.

"The IRS is a scary agency," Blunt said later, "and when they become the central force of something like this, everybody's attention, within a month from people paying their taxes, is on the side of 'gee the IRS can do anything they want to do if they're not supervised by somebody who understands how dangerous they can be to people'."

For Blunt and Republicans, the IRS scandal is manna from heaven. At a time when they're doubling efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act — and Blunt is a point man in this effort — the missteps by IRS personnel offer a most convenient way to segue into the debate.

The fact is, the IRS will play a significant role in health care in coming years, enforcing many of its provisions.

When the Supreme Court upheld the 2010 health care law, justices did so with the legal rationale that Congress had the taxing authority to write the expansive legislation.

It's the IRS who can levy penalties against businesses and individuals who don't comply. It's the IRS that will collect the penalties, which the court construed as taxes.

Similarly, the IRS will be called on to make decisions on how subsidies will be distributed to people making under $45,000 annually and how tax credits will be administered to businesses that comply.

For the foreseeable future, Republicans will do their best to make the IRS a subtext for just about every public policy debate in Washington.

A key question: When will the public tire of talk about the IRS and, perhaps, demand to know how the GOP intends to look forward, not backward, on health care and other matters.

Fox News: Senator Blunt Discusses The Need For Accountability From The Obama Administration 5/20/13

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) joined Fox News's "America's Newsroom" with Bill Hemmer on Monday, May 20, 2013, to discuss the Obama Administration's lack of accountability with the handling of the IRS scandal and the attack in Benghazi.

KOLR 10: Senator Blunt Discusses The Impact Of ObamaCare On Missouri Businesses 5/17/13

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

"The Buck Stops With Me"

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

Amid continued scrutiny, it's time for President Obama to take responsibility for the egregious actions by his administration.

Marshall Democrat: Assessing the impact of Obamacare

Sen. Roy Blunt — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

As we approach the deadline for the president's health care law to go into effect, I continue to hear stories from Missourians who are concerned about the ways that this massive overhaul will impact their families, businesses, and communities. Unfortunately, recent reports have reinforced what many health care providers and small business advocates have feared for some time -- the president's health care law will burden Americans with trillions of dollars in new taxes, costly penalties, and new government obligations that will stifle job creation nationwide.

Starting next year, job creators will be forced to comply with this new law or pay the penalty. Many hard-working Americans whose employers decide it's more cost effective to pay the penalty will see their plans change or lose them altogether.

In other instances, we will see employers reduce hours for full-time employees to avoid paying penalties or providing health care. This will force people to take on more than one part-time job to make ends meet, meaning the person who serves your coffee in the morning may be the same person serving your dinner in a different spot the same night and you may see them working at a third job over the weekend.

At a time when millions of Americans are still searching for jobs, the last thing we should do is discourage economic growth. Maybe that's why some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have increasingly expressed their concerns.

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said: "I just see a huge train wreck coming down." Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) called it "the most complex piece of legislation ever passed by the United States Congress... up to this point, it's just beyond comprehension." Senator Ron Wyden(D-Ore.) warned, "There is reason to be very concerned about what's going to happen with young people."

Even President Obama admitted there will be "glitches and bumps" in the roll-out of his health care overhaul. But this isn't what the president promised three years ago when this plan passed into law. For almost everyone, the promise that "if you like what you have you can keep it" won't turn out that way.

We can all agree that we must fix our nation's health care system, but this one-size-fits-all government takeover is not the right answer. I'll continue to fight to repeal the most flawed components of this law so we can replace it with common-sense reforms to put Missourians in control of their health care -- not Washington bureaucrats.

Senator Blunt’s Statement On Resignation Of Acting IRS Chief Steven Miller

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement this evening after President Barack Obama announced that Acting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Steven Miller has resigned.

St. Louis Beacon: Blunt seeks Missouri groups directly affected by IRS scrutiny

Robert Koenig — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON – Responding to the revelations about the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt said his office was looking for Missouri examples – but so far had not found any.

“I’m going to continue to see if any Missouri groups have had a problem. So far, the groups I’ve talked to either had their IRS status before this began or just simply didn’t try to get it,” Blunt, R-Mo., told reporters on Wednesday

Federal authorities have opened a criminal investigation of whether any IRS employees broke the law when they targeted groups with the words “tea party” and “patriot” in their names for special reviews of whether they should be tax-exempt. An inspector general’s report this week criticized an IRS unit for using “inappropriate criteria” in screening political advocacy groups.

“So far, no defenders of the IRS and few defenders of the administration’s slow response, even over the last couple of days, on what happened at the IRS regarding conservative groups and constitutional-focus groups,” Blunt said.

To qualify for nonprofit, tax exempt status under the tax code’s Section 501(c)(4), groups are supposed to be operated in a way that promotes “the common good and general welfare of the community.” The IRS has long allowed such groups to engage in some partisan activity so long as it constitutes less than half of their operations.

Citing the inspector general’s critical report, Blunt called on the acting IRS commissioner, Steven Miller, “to step down or be removed if, in fact, the reports are true. And he knows if they are true or not.”

Blunt contended that, in at least three instances, Miller had failed to respond adequately to letters from lawmakers seeking information on such practices. He said Miller also had not addressed such issues at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing.

Late Wednesday, President Barack Obama said he had accepted Miller's resignation, and pledged to work with Congress to reform IRS rules so that similar problems don't happen again.

In addition to Blunt, U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., have both condemned the IRS actions. “People should be fired for this serious breach of public trust,” McCaskill said Monday. She didn’t specify who should be dismissed, but she said it should be “not just some line employee” at the IRS. “We don't do this in America.”

Durbin told reporters, “It is absolutely unacceptable to single out any political group – right, left or center – and say we're going to target them.”

Obama said he had directed Treasury Secretary Jack Lew “to hold those responsible for these failures accountable, and to make sure that each of the inspector general’s recommendations are implemented quickly, so that such conduct never happens again.“

So far, at least, there have been no reports from Missouri-based tea party groups of direct interference. Tea party groups did not return calls to the Beacon’s political correspondent, Jo Mannies. On Wednesday, Blunt said, “We’ve asked for any input and so far have not found a Missouri case.”

UPDATE Late Wednesday, Blunt’s reacted to the news of Miller’s resignation: “I’ve repeatedly called for Steven Miller’s departure and I’m glad he finally stepped down. However, this is only a start. I’ll keep demanding that President Obama work with Congress to fully investigate the IRS scandal, restore transparency and accountability in the government, and prevent these types of shameful activities from happening again.” END UPDATE

Missourinet: Blunt, McCaskill call for firings in wake of IRS scandal

Jessica Machetta — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

Missouri’s U.S. Senators are calling for firings after the Internal Revenue Service Acting Commissioner allegedly targeted conservative groups.

Sen. Roy Blunt says Commissioner Steven Miller knew about the actions and misled members of Congress about them. He calls the agency’s actions “outrageous” and “unwarranted.” He’s asking Miller to step down or be removed.

“It’s become increasingly clear this was not limited to the actions of a small group of lower level employees, which is why President Obama and his administration must initiate a comprehensive and transparent investigation immediately,” Blunt says. “Americans deserve answers, and I join my colleagues in support of any and all congressional investigations to uncover the truth behind these shameful activities.”

Sen. Claire McCaskill says the IRS targeted for special scrutiny conservative and small government groups applying for tax-exempt status.
“People should be fired for this serious breach of public trust,” she says. “We don’t do this in America.”

Reports show the IRS put pressure on groups with titles including “Tea Party” … “patriot” and others, as well as groups that focused on government spending.

Senator Blunt Invites Young Missourians To Consider U.S. Military Service Academies

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) announced that he will begin accepting applications from young Missourians interested in applying for nominations to the U.S. Military Service Academies.

Qualified applicants can apply to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require congressional nominations. Blunt currently serves as a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

“Our nation’s service academies play an important role in our national security and in the lives of many young adults who are called to serve in the military,” said Blunt. “These institutions strengthen character, develop leadership skills, and offer unique opportunities for the young men and women who choose to pursue this challenge.”

Applicants must be between 17 and 23 years of age, U. S. Citizens, and legal residents of Missouri. A committee of Missouri residents will review applicants’ files and present their recommendations to Senator Blunt for a formal nomination in December. Nominees will be evaluated using the “equal and competitive” method for selection and on the basis of personal merit including evidence of character, leadership, scholarship, and motivation.

Interested applicants can apply via a secure website, which will allow them to continually check the status of their application. The link to the application can be found on the Academy Nominations page under the Student Center section of www.blunt.senate.gov. All application materials must be received on or before November 1, 2013.

The academy nomination process requires that students first open an application directly with the academies of their choice and then begin the nomination process with their congressional offices. For more information please contact Senator Blunt’s office at academy_nominations@blunt.senate.gov.

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St. Louis Beacon: Blunt's Missouri 'hold' fits wider GOP strategy to block EPA nominee

Robert Koenig — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON – When U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt announced that he planned to block President Barack Obama’s nominee for the nation’s top environmental job, he couched his opposition in terms of a controversial flood-control project in Missouri’s Bootheel.

But Blunt’s “hold” on Gina McCarthy, nominated to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, dovetails with a much wider Senate Republican strategy, including a boycott of her committee approval until she responds to more than 1,000 questions – in an effort to scuttle her nomination.

That GOP campaign against McCarthy – a high-level EPA official who has served four GOP governors, including Mitt Romney, in various positions – includes heated opposition by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and aggressive delaying tactics by the top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La.

“This attack on Gina McCarthy is inexplicable given that she was previously confirmed by the Senate for a top EPA position without a single recorded ‘no’ vote, and she is one of the most qualified and bipartisan nominees to ever come before the Senate,” complained U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who chairs the Senate environment panel.

But McConnell dug in, explaining that McCarthy “would continue to foster this administration’s radical environmental and anti-coal jobs agenda,” which he contends would affect the 18,000 Kentuckians involved in coal mining.

The McCarthy controversy came to a head last Thursday when every GOP member of the Senate environment panel boycotted a committee session during which McCarthy’s nomination was scheduled to be approved.

Angered by the unusual tactic, Boxer has called another committee session for this Thursday, making public her letter to Vitter complaining that, as of Thursday, “this nomination will have been delayed at your request for four weeks. It is time to move forward with her nomination.”

Blunt, the fifth-ranking Senate Republican, is not on the committee but said he is determined to block a Senate vote on McCarthy’s nomination over a single issue: the dispute between the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers about the revised environmental impact statement on the long-delayed St. John’s Bayou/New Madrid Floodway project in southeast Missouri.

“I’m holding this nomination until the government stops arguing with the government,” Blunt said late last week, saying that his Senate “hold” is entirely related to the Bootheel dispute.

“I’m not calling on the Obama administration to spend a dime or to build a thing. All these agencies have to do is agree on the facts surrounding a very long-standing project – and two months after their own self-imposed deadline, they’re still caught up in bureaucratic infighting.”

Blunt’s position, popular among residents along the floodway – which Blunt visited last week – was criticized by environmental groups as yet another GOP ploy to try to scuttle McCarthy’s nomination. The overriding issue, environmental groups say, is McCarthy’s work over the last four years as the head of EPA’s air pollution regulation efforts.

Those regulations, unpopular among many Republicans, utility firms and some manufacturers, are part of the Obama administration's attempt to contain emissions of toxic mercury from power plants and some gases that affect the global climate.

“Her nomination is being politicized by senators who prioritize the interests of polluters over the interests of America’s public health,” asserted Miles Grant, senior communications manager at the National Wildlife Federation, which supports McCarthy.

He said GOP attempts to scuttle McCarthy’s nomination are parallel to their expected campaign against the administration’s finalizing of the industrial carbon pollution rule in the coming weeks. That rule is based on a law that was passed by Congress, signed by a GOP president years ago and approved by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Senate Republicans “can’t win through the democratic process, so they’re trying to gum up the works however they can,” Grant said in an interview. Boxer called McCarthy “the poster child of Republican obstructionism” on environmental issues.

Boxer has threatened to pass McCarthy’s nomination out of committee using only Democratic votes, if necessary, but she might not have enough votes if ailing U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., is unable to attend Thursday’s committee meeting.

Even if the full Senate eventually takes up the McCarthy nomination, it is unclear whether supporters would be able to muster the 60 votes needed to override a possible GOP filibuster threat and confirm her to lead the EPA. On Tuesday, McCarthy was scheduled to meet with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the second-ranking Senate Democrat, and some other senators.

GOP leaders blamed the Obama administration for the McCarthy delay because the White House and EPA have so far declined to answer some of the 1,000-odd questions that Republican senators have asked McCarthy to answer. McConnell has said those include numerous questions about the “underlying data” that the EPA used in developing emissions regulations.

“It should come as no surprise that the Obama administration continues to stonewall reasonable information requests from Republicans” on the environment pabel, McConnell said in a statement. He said such responses are crucial to the “advise and consent role” of GOP senators in considering the nomination.

Senator Blunt Calls For Removal Of Acting IRS Chief Steven Miller

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

Amid reports that the Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Steven Miller knew about the agency’s outrageous and unwarranted targeting of conservative groups as early as May 2012, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement calling for Miller to step down or for President Barack Obama to remove him immediately.

Senator Blunt Joins Bipartisan Group Of Colleagues To Mark National Women’s Health Week By Fighting To End Breast Cancer

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

Senator Blunt Meets With St. Louis Coalition, Supports Legislation To End Breast Cancer...

Senator Blunt Meets With Platte County Fire Chief & Other Firefighters To Discuss Issues Facing First Responders

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:01 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) met with Platte County Fire Chief Richard Carizzo and other firefighters with the International Association of Fire Chiefs to discuss issues facing first responders in Missouri and nationwide. Click here for a high-resolution photo of the meeting.

“It was great to hear from Chief Carizzo and the firefighters about the important issues that impact our first responders in Missouri and nationwide,” Blunt said. “We should be doing everything we can to support these brave men and women who work tirelessly responding to disasters and keeping our citizens safe while putting their own lives on the line."

Blunt serves as co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, which focuses on strengthening support and communication between state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies nationwide.

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