Murphy: EPA Must Work With DEP

U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy says the federal Environmental Protection Agency should do a better job of communicating with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

At a Natural Gas Caucus hearing, DEP Secretary Michael Krancer said contact from the EPA has been limited to press releases, where the agency expresses its concerns about the enforcement of Marcellus Shale drilling regulations.

Murphy says the EPA has not responded to his communications in months and did not show up at the hearing.

“The EPA feels the need to continue to state that they’re going to do something, and yet we’re not sure what their concerns are,” says Murphy. “So, we did not hear from the EPA. I’m still waiting to hear, from my March question, what concerns they have about any of Pennsylvania’s regulations or enforcement thereof.”

The Republican lawmaker says the DEP is better suited to deal with drilling issues unique to Pennsylvania, and the EPA should bring any concerns straight to the state department.

Altmire, Murphy Promote Nuke Power

Cranberry-based Westinghouse thinks it has designed a game changer in the nuclear power industry and two local congressmen say they are doing what they can to help.

Tim Murphy (R- Upper St. Clair) and Jason Altmire (D- McCandless) have teamed up to introduce the Nuclear Power 2021 act. Altmire says it is based on the Nuclear Power 2010 program, which he says gave a kick-start to the nuclear power industry. “It provided for loan guarantees and financing and permitting that was not available before,” says Altmire.

Since that bill went into effect Westinghouse has signed contracts to build 14 nuclear power plants in the US. Four of those plants have broken ground in the preconstruction phase. Westinghouse spokesperson Vaughn Gilbert says the plants would be the first to be built in the U.S. since 1978. Gilbert also says those contracts have resulted in 5,000 jobs in the region.

The bill sponsored by Altmire and Murphy would use the same model but apply it to small modular nuclear reactors. “Hopefully by the year 2021 we can have at least two of these [small plants] up and running,” says Altmire.

The legislation does not mention Westinghouse by name but Altmire says the company is the worldwide leader in the technology so it stands to reason that Southwestern Pennsylvania would benefit from the promotion of the technology.

The small plants, according to Altmire, can be built at a tenth of the cost of a large plant and produce about a 6th of the power. He goes on to say the new Westinghouse product allays some of the fears associated with nuclear power. “There is less power being generated, there is less heat, it doesn’t need to be near water, so a lot of the things that would give people concern about the nuclear industry because of what happened in Japan are taken care of with the smaller design.” Because they need less water the power plants can by built in areas of the western United States where larger plants are not possible.

"Energy Independence" Bill Unveiled

A bipartisan Congressional Energy Working Group has unveiled a plan that would open up offshore oil and gas exploration but would target the revenues to improve infrastructure, create jobs and invest in clean coal technology and renewable energy sources.
The working group is led by Congressmen Tim Murphy and Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Jim Costa of California.
"It's clear the House is passing bills to open up offshore drilling. It's clear the Senate won't taken them up and the White House won't respond to them," said Murphy.

So, the group has unveiled legislation that it says will secure the nation's energy future, put Americans back to work and rebuild the infrastructure without raising taxes or increasing the national debt.

Murphy says "The Infrastructure Jobs and Energy Independence Act" would allow the safe, responsible expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration and dedicates the $2.2 to $3.7 trillion in new federal revenues from royalties and leasing rights fees to cut the deficit, invest in clean coal and nuclear technology, clean up the environment, increase funding for renewable and alternative energy sources, and rebuild crumbling highways and bridges.

The Congressman from Pittsburgh's South Hills says everyone wants clean air, land and water......."We can't clean up our coal plants and build clean nuclear plants or wind or solar because we don't have the money for them unless we open up some of these (offshore) areas for drilling and use the money from those without raising taxes, but use the fees and that could pay for all we need to do."

The U.S. continues to spend $1 billion a day to import 60% of its oil and the Congressional Working Group says U.S. offshore resources are enough to replace oil imports from Venezuela and Saudi Arabia for the next 80 years.

The revenues would also be used for tax credits to reduce energy waste by buildings, "the average building may waste 20 to 40% of the energy it buys," says Murphy.
He says this proposal has the backing of many groups including industry and labor and he's hoping for bipartisan support in the House and Senate because unlike other House legislation that just opens up offshore drilling, this is a comprehensive package that addresses the deficit, job creation, infrastructure, and renewable and alternative energy sources.

Murphy says from the time this is approved to the time "gas gets in your gas tank," it will be about 5 years, but revenues from leasing could start in about 2 years.

EPA Says "No" to Continue Using "Winter Gas"

Although some service stations in the Pittsburgh region are running out of gasoline, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced it has denied Pennsylvania's request to waive gasoline volatility standards and allow terminals in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland Counties to continue selling the winter blend of gasoline through the end of this month.
Under federal law the distributors cannot sell the winter blend to service stations after May 1 because of air pollution levels in the Pittsburgh region.
The shortage of the summer blend is due to a recent outage at a New Jersey refinery and a since repaired leak in the pipeline that links the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh markets.
Western Pennsylvania Congressmen Jason Altmire, Mark Critz, Mike Doyle, Mike Kelly and Tim Murphy said they will continue to urge the EPA to grant the waiver.

“Rising gas prices are already causing pain at the pump for Pennsylvania’s families. While disappointed in today’s decision by the EPA, we urge the agency to monitor on a moment-by-moment basis the supplies in Western Pennsylvania and react swiftly should the situation deteriorate. We will work together to do all that we can to ensure this issue is resolved quickly.”

County Announces Bids Start on Commissary

A new commissary is planned to be built on Allegheny County owned property across from the McGarity Reserve Center in Moon Township. Commissaries are military supermarkets where current and past service members can find goods at a cheaper cost because their salaries tend to be less than private sector ones. The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County (RAAC) announced that staff will solicit bids for construction. The commissary is expected to be about 43,000 square-feet and cost up to $17 million.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato says this bodes well for the future of a military presenece in Southwest Pennsylvania. "Well the fact that we are one of the few on the BRAC report (The Defense BASE Closure and Realignment Commission)to get put back on shows the significance of the strategic importance of Southwest Pennsylvania, plus the men and women that serve in the military here."

Congressman Tim Murphy (R-18 PA) says that a new commissary is needed because the old one is an antique. "It is 50 something years old, it has many signs of wear and tear and it needs to be replaced in a more convenient location. In part because that base is going to close in the next couple of years and when it closes down we lose that base. A couple of years ago, I asked the Pentagon to please keep that commissary open at least until we build a new one, and they agreed to."

Murphy says that while the county is now announcing that it will take bids, they still have to get approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee. He says that once it passes, the county can legally start bids 30 days after.

The U.S. Army Office of Personnel and Readiness agreed to keep operating the current commissary in Oakdale until the new one can take on its duties. Currently, about 165,000 people rely on the commissary.

Cong. Murphy "Not Necessarily Confident" About Budget Deal

There's still no deal to keep the government running with just hours remaining on the current funding extension. That expires at midnight and unless there's an overall budget deal or an agreement for another one week extension, there will be a partial government shutdown starting Saturday. The greater impact would be felt Monday since most government offices are closed over the weekend.
Republican Congressman Tim Murphy of Pittsburgh's South Hills called on the Senate and the White House to approve the one week extension that the GOP-controlled House passed Thursday afternoon....
"If the Senate is saying they will not take up the bill, they will not even debate it, and if the White House says they will veto it, that is a line in the sand we cannot have. We've got to keep working together here...both sides...with our eyes on cutting some spending and reducing the debt."

The 2 sides are reportedly about 6 billion dollars apart. Murphy says that is important but so too are some policy issues dividing Democrats and Republicans. The GOP passed extension includes a cut in government funding for abortions in Washington, D.C. The president said he would veto that cut.

Murphy says he's still hoping this gets resolved without a government shutdown..."because I don't want anybody who works for the government to be cut or anyone who depends on government supports or services to not have those fulfilled. I'm not necessarily confident, we'll see, who knows."

PA Congressmen React to State of Union

President Barack Obama urged better cooperation between Democrats and Republicans in dealing with the country's economic troubles and soaring debt.
In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Mr. Obama talked about spending in core areas like infrastructure while also working to rein in the debt.
The president called for a 5 year freeze on spending at current levels while some Republicans want to roll back to 2008 levels and then freeze spending.
The President called for speeding up the economic recovery through greater
infrastructure spending. He called for a six-year plan to repair or improve bridges, roads and mass transit.
He says the plan should be paid for, not increase the deficit, and not include Congressional pet projects. He vowed to veto any bill that included earmarks.
The president said he knows there is opposition to health care overhaul legislation which House Republicans voted to repeal, but he said he's not willing to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny coverage.

In responding to the State of the Union address, Pittsburgh area Congressman Tim Murphy (R-PA-18) said Americans are eager for a job growth agenda but are also eager for less government spending.
" Tonight, we heard that America's competitiveness is suffering from a case of sluggishness and the need to get back on track. But I am cautious of a solution that sounds like more government spending out of Washington. American families need jobs, but jobs and prosperity will not come from more government growth and deficit spending."
Congressman Jason Altmire (D-PA-04) said it's critical to work together to cut government spending and reduce the deficit.
" I support the president’s proposal to freeze non-security discretionary spending for the next five years. In the coming weeks, I look forward to seeing additional bipartisan proposals to further cut spending and get our fiscal house back in order. "
Altmire said he hoped the spirit of civility and bipartisanship that was visibly evident throughout the House chamber last night, with some Democrats and Republicans sitting with each other, "will remain with us as we move forward."

Rep. Murphy Hopes to Hear Bipartisan Talk in Obama's Address

President Obama will address the nation tonight at 9:00 from the chamber of the House of Representatives. In his State of the Union Address, Obama will likely look back on his first two years in office, citing accomplishments and shortcomings, and look forward to the next two years of his term.

Pennsylvania Rep. Tim Murphy hopes that the President will speak of moving more towards the center to cooperate with a congress that has become much more conservative following the mid-term elections in November. Murphy has been critical of the nation’s continued spending and the growing national deficit. He fears that the growing national deficit hurts our foreign negotiating powers.

“If we are going to be working for the good of our country, good of our jobs, we’ve got to be standing up for fair trade and be able to enforce that and not find ourselves in a situation where we have to turn back with our tail between our legs because another nation says you can’t enforce this because we have your money,” Murphy says.

He admits however, that the mission to reduce federal spending is not just on the President, but rather cooperation between all members of congress and the President.

“It’s up to congress to put forth a budget and work with the president on that, one that is going to not continue to increase spending,” Murphy says. “You know the President at one point said he wanted to reduce spending, in fact he campaigned saying he wanted to reduce spending, but it has increased drastically, by the trillions."

Murphy hopes the President speaks on allowing the private sector to create jobs, rather than government regulation, along with agreeing to a review of the health care bill that Murphy thinks was pushed through too quickly.

For NPR’s complete coverage of the State of the Union Address, tune into WDUQ tonight at 9:00.

House Could Vote Today or Tomorrow on Compromise

On an 81-19 vote, the U.S. Senate this afternoon approved compromise legislation to extends the Bush tax cuts and federal jobless benefits. Now the measure goes to the House for consideration
Pittsburgh area Congressman Tim Murphy (R- PA18), says he's leaning towards voting "yes". He says that there is a lot in the bill that he doesn't agree with; like tax credits for motor sports arenas, Virgin Island Rum, and Ethanol. But he believes that the compromise is important to aid the economy.

Murphy says he doesn't like the position that voting on jobless benefits has put him and his colleagues in. He believes some unemployed are taking advantage of the benefits, which aren't much less than their paychecks. But Murphy added there are others who really need the money, and this legislation creates a Catch 22 for elected officials.

He also says that Democrats in the House who want to eliminate the estate tax exemption do not clearly understand small business owners. "They're holding onto their money and not making the investments (they should), because they're expecting to take a big hit. Again that's not a big hit on a tax when they die but that's a big hit on what they have to invest in over the next several years on those elements on insurance and other fees in anticipation of holding/staving off this tax that would otherwise destroy their business."

Murphy says that through his polling and what he's heard from his constituents, people understand that the bill is a compromise and want it to pass.

Murphy Retains U.S. House Seat

Incumbent Republican Congressman Tim Murphy (PA–18) defeated Democratic challenger Dan Connolly by a two-to-one margin in this midterm election. With almost 99% of precincts reporting, Murphy received nearly 67% of the vote and Connolly received less than 33%.

Preliminary polls had Murphy winning comfortably. Murphy’s campaign funds also dwarfed Connolly’s.

Murphy has served as the Congressman for parts of Washington, Allegheny, and Westmoreland Counties since 2003. He was previously a state senator.

Murphy Rallies for HR 2378

US Congressman Tim Murphy is calling on the leadership of both parties to call a vote on a resolution that would demand that the International Trade Commission get tough on China if it does not float its currency. Murphy went before the House Ways and Means Committee this week to support HR 2378, which has been dubbed the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act. The resolution is sponsored by Murphy and Youngstown Ohio Democrat Tim Ryan. Murphy says the demands in the resolution and be boiled down to a simple point, “If china is found to be manipulating their currency by the International Trade Commission, for the purpose of unfair trade practices, the ITC could put upon them tariffs to bring the cost of their goods back in line.”

Murphy says the goal it to, “protect domestic manufacturers and the steel industry from countries unwilling to compete fairly in the global marketplace.” Murphy says by not floating its currency on the open market, China can undercut US manufactures by 40-percent. Murphy says that means manufacturers in China can make and ship products to the US for less than a manufacturer here can by the raw materials. “We must hold China accountable for its currency manipulation wreaking havoc on our nation’s manufacturers,” says Murphy. China currently pegs its currency to the US dollar.

The congressman gathered supporters in his district today to call on House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner to call the resolution to the floor for an up or down vote. Murphy says, “She said would then she said she would not, so we want to know when, for goodness sake, are we going to stand up for American manufacturing and American jobs rather than giving into China and their threats.” A letter making similar demands was signed by 100 members of congress and sent to the two leaders.

Federal Funds for Snow Removal in PA

The Obama Administration has declared 26 counties in Pennsylvania as disaster areas as a result of the storms between February 5 and 10 that dumped about 2 feet of snow on communities across the state.
The state, counties and municipalities will be getting about $50 million in federal disaster aid to cover expenses stemming from the back-to-back winter storms. The counties covered by the disaster declaration include Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland. Communities within those counties may be eligible for snow assistance which covers costs for snow removal, snow dumps, de-icing, and salting and sanding of roads; and, public assistance to repair or replace disaster-damaged facilities.
FEMA usually pays for 75% of the costs. Congressman Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny County) from the South Hills says the remainder of the costs will likely have to be picked up by the local governments or the state or a combination. Murphy says he's very pleased with the declaration....
"Our local communities were walloped not just with snow, but the price tag that came from snow removal and repairing infrastructure damage. Without federal disaster assistance to rebuild and recover the costs from the storms, our local communities were faced with cuts to other essential services to make ends meet throughout the budget year. With this disaster declaration, help is on the way.”

Governor Ed Rendell's chief of staff, Steve Crawford, said an additional $6 million may be available for local projects to mitigate future disasters. State emergency-management chief Robert French estimates it may take four to six weeks for the aid to be distributed. Congressman Murphy says the next step is for the communities to work with the state and FEMA to get the funds.

Steel Industry Asks For Help

Officials from American steelmaking firms and from the United Steelworkers of America urged the Congressional Steel Caucus to help them more fairly compete with steel coming from China, India and Brazil.
U.S. Representative Tim Murphy, of suburban Pittsburgh, is the co-chair of the caucus and he said the industry representatives told the group that after a big decline the last few years, business is coming back up but they feel the success is tentative.
Murphy says they asked the caucus not to do "cap and trade" the way it came out of the house. According to Murphy, the chairmen of U.S. Steel, AK Steel and Nucor Corporation told them that the mandates to cut emissions in the House version of "cap and trade" will make American steel so expensive that it will favor steel from Brazil, China and India. Murphy said that American steel production generates one quarter of the pollution that steel from India and China does "and if we end up taxing our companies so much that it becomes cheaper to purchase steel from countries that have more pollution, then we'll be adding to the pollution around the world."
Murphy says the steelmakers are asking for tax credits to help reduce the emissions without pricing American steel out of the market.
Industry representatives also asked lawmakers to crack down on countries breaking trade laws and dumping product in the U.S. with false ISO certification.
Daniel DiMicco, Chairman of Nucor Corporation, said that the federal stimulus package has helped some because of requirements that bridge and road projects use American made steel but that the infrastructure is aging so much, that a great deal more is still needed.

Federal Assistance is Uncertain

Dealing with 2 winter storms in the past week has caused municipalities and counties to rack up expenses for lots of overtime and contracting of private equipment. That doesn't include any damages to public infrastructure and buildings from the storms. However, Congressman Tim Murphy of Allegheny County says a change in FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) rules in November might block local governments from getting any federal disaster assistance because the snow did not fall all at once and the clean up costs were spread over several days. Murphy says he and members of Congress from other states blanketed by the snow are hoping to convince FEMA that while there were 2 storms, it was one incident because communities were still digging out from the weekend storm when the snow began again on Tuesday.
Murphy says the storm-related costs are hitting smaller communities particularly hard...
"Just to go out and hire someone to use a front end loader or a plow to do a road is a much larger percentage of an expense than it is for a city, particularly rural communities where they have long stretches of road where unless they were cleared, people were in absolute isolation for several days."
Murphy says that if FEMA doesn't provide assistance, the president could declare a "disaster" and he wishes that the president "would just do that."
Murphy says the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is working with local governments to keep good records of expenses to submit to FEMA.

PA Congressional Reaction to State of Union

Members of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation agree with President Barack Obama's new focus on jobs. In his first State of the Union address, the President told Congress that creating jobs must be its No. 1 focus this year. He's proposing that Congress take $30 billion dollars from the Wall Street bailout to help community banks make loans for small businesses. But he also said he doesn't want Congress to abandon efforts to reform health care.

Republican Congressman Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair, says he likes the idea of the tax credits for small businesses, which are very much needed to keep doors open. While he supports extending the tax breaks for the middle class, he opposes the rollback of tax cuts for people making $250,000 or more. Murphy says the rollback would impact 60 to 70 percent of small businesses. He says while you're cutting the capital gains, you're increasing the personal income tax, therefore there's no positive impact. Murphy calls the President's proposal for a three year freeze on discretionary spending, symbolic.

Congressman Jason Altmire, a Democrat from McCandless, says while freezing discretionary freezing is a strong first step, he also wants Congress to act to make Pay-As-You-Go budget rules law. He says during the 1990's, that's what helped America move from budget deficits to record surpluses. Altmire is a co-sponsor of the Statutory Pay Go legislation that would force Congress to pay for new spending and prevent it from adding to the federal deficit.

Johnstown Democrat, John Murtha, says the President addressed the challenges that we face now and those that threaten to burden our future. He agrees with the President that there needs to be a focus on job creation to get the economy back on track.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, Congressman Joe Sestak of Delaware County, says now is the time for Congress to prove that government can restore accountability and transparency by making job growth and long-term financial security top priorities. He says to rein in deficit and debt spending, any job creation plan needs to close tax loopholes that ship jobs overseas.

U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, a Democrat from Philadelphia, says President Obama was right on target in making jobs the number one priority, with an emphasis on clean energy jobs. He says he liked the President's fighting spirit refusing to quit on health care reform.

Commissary Nabs Last Bit of Funding

The commissary slated to be built in Moon has received its final piece of federal funding.

$5 million was given for the new building, which will replace an older, smaller facility in Collier.

Congressman Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair says this latest funding will be used to cover the cost of keeping the current commissary in Collier open, while expanding the new one to include an “exchange” – another section of the building that would provide supplies, uniforms and household items.

Murphy says the expansion of the region’s commissary has piqued the interest of the Navy and the Marines to add bases in the area.

Murphy says more troops drilling in Southwestern Pennsylvania means more income spent at local businesses and more population to the region.

The $5 million will be added to a $4 million given in 2007 and $8.2 million granted in 2008.

Gas Caucus Holds First Meeting

The congressional Natural Gas Caucus gathered Wednesday in Washington DC for the first time and took testimony from gas companies, exploration firms, government officials and researchers on the future of natural gas use in the United States. US Congressman Tim Murphy (Republican) of Upper St. Clair created the caucus this month and co-chairs it with Congressman Dan Boren (Democrat) of Oklahoma. Murphy says he felt that natural gas was not getting the attention it deserved in the ongoing energy debate so he decided to join the natural gas caucus only to learn it did not exist. During the first meeting of the caucus Murphy says he learned that previous estimates of natural gas reserves in the nation were low and now many experts believe there are some 2,500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under US soil. Murphy admits natural gas is not the final solution to the nation’s energy needs but he says it will help provide a bridge to that solution. During the meeting, the 45 members of the committee were told that transportation might be one of the first places to begin using natural gas. Murphy says most homes, gas stations and convenience stores already have access to natural gas and all that would be needed to fuel cars and trucks would be a compressor. He says it would also take about $1,000 to convert existing cars to run on natural gas but he thinks there could be tax incentives created to spark those conversions. At the hearing shale gas was hailed as a great source of natural gas but there is still debate over taxing and environmental concerns. Murphy warns too much taxing of shale gas extraction will send gas companies overseas, which will only make the United States more dependent on foreign energy supplies. Murphy says having the proper environment controls will also be an important part of the shale gas debate.

Bill to Aid Those in Kids' Health Insurance Crunch

Two Pennsylvania Congressmen have joined together in a bill that will help families ailing during the economic crisis with supplying health care for their children more effectively. It's called the Children's Health Insurance Accessibility Act, and it would eliminate the waiting period to join CHIP low-income health insurance. Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy says a family should never have to make a choice between paying utilities or providing health insurance for their children, and out-of-pocket medical expense would be no more than 10 percent of the parents' current income. Republican Congressman Tim Murphy says the bill will help those affected by a job loss. Rachel Klein, health policy Deputy Director of Families USA, says states implemented waiting periods in order to prevent users from dropping CHIP to go to a private provider.

Congressmen respond to State of the Union

U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy says he liked that President Obama began his State of the Union address in an optimistic tone, since focusing on the economic turmoil will only hold us back from getting past it. However, in order to move on, he says small businesses should be given a chance and not have their taxes increase.

U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire agrees with Obama's optimism. He says that despite the nation's current challenges, America's best days still lie ahead.

Murphy's other primary concern is about reforming the health care system. He says billions of dollars are wasted every year on having an inefficient program. The doctor and the patient are the most important, not the government getting in the midst of it.

In addition to health care, Altmire says the country's energy independence and its education system are other key issues that he looks forward to reforming with the president as well as colleagues from Republican and Democratic parties.

New Commissary Replanned for Moon

Congressman Tim Murphy of the South Hills says the Defense Department has changed plans again for the commissary soon to be built in Moon. Not only will the facility be much larger and more expensive than anticipated, but its location is now undecided once again. The 44,000-square-foot commissary will cost about $10 million dollars more than the previous design, which was slated to be built at the intersection of Business Route 60 and University Boulevard. Murphy says the introduction of additional Navy and Marine units to the area will be good for both businesses and the facility's construction. The change of plans is the latest in a series of indecisive moves made after the closing of the old Charles E. Kelly Support Center in Oakdale.