New poll: 64% of Rep. Bass' constituents oppose bill to dismantle EPA's ability to reduce pollutions

Feb 14 2011

Sixty-four percent of  Rep. Charlie Bass' constituents in the  New Hampshire 2nd  Congressional District oppose a controversial bill to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to reduce carbon dioxide and other pollutants, a new poll reveals.  As a key member of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Bass will have to vote on the bill in the near future.

The Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey, conducted for the Natural Resources Defense Council, turned up similar findings in the home districts of eight other key committee members: Reps. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif.; Cory Gardner, R-Colo.; Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; Fred Upton, R-MI; Leonard Lance, R-N.J.; Mike Doyle, D-Penn.; Charles A. Gonzalez, D-Texas; and Gene Green, D-Texas. 

The survey also found that 67 percent of Rep. Bass' constituents agreed with the statement that "Congress should let the EPA do its job," as opposed to the minority who believe that "Congress should decide" what actions are taken to curb carbon pollution. The PPP survey of 555 registered voters in the New Hampshire 2nd Congressional District was conducted February 4-5, 2011 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percent.  (See http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Bass%20NH-2Results.pdf.)

"The bottom line is now clearer than ever: Democrats, Republicans and Independents across America want politicians to protect the health of America's children rather than the profit-driven agenda of big polluters," said Pete Altman, Climate Campaign director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Chairman Upton and other members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee will now be hard-pressed to ignore the fact that their constituents want Congress to let the EPA do its job of safeguarding the health of American families."

"What we see in the findings across the board is a strikingly consistent affirmation by Americans that they support the EPA and its anti-pollution, pro-public health role," said Tom Jensen, director, Public Policy Polling.  "Whether they are in rural or urban districts, Americans clearly believe that Congress should be doing what's best for public health, not polluters."

On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing on House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton's bill and the Michigan Republican has indicated that he plans to move the legislation forward as quickly as possible.

Other key PPP survey findings from Rep. Bass' New Hampshire 2nd Congressional District include the following:

• 65 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 61 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

SOURCE Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, DC