Republican lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have fired the first shots in an upcoming battle to turn the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act into an insurmountable obstacle to legislation designed to address unmet needs. House Republicans fired first by launching a series of hearings, and Senate Republicans followed up with an under-the-radar section in the budget resolution that uses UMRA to make it harder to pass laws such as an increase in minimum wage or improvements in civil rights protections.

Download section 403 of Senate budget resolution, which would convert UMRA points of order into 60-vote roadblocks.

Cap-and-trade is a method for controlling a variety of pollution emissions by setting an emission standard for polluters and then allowing polluters to trade emissions up to a certain cap. This industry-friendly approach has had moderate success in controlling pollution without putting "undue burden" on industry. However, it is often opposed by environmentalists and public interest groups because while lowering the overall emissions levels, it may increase harmful emissions in some areas. Hot Spots

Several recently published scientific studies on the negative health impacts of depleted uranium, diesel engines, mercury and urban pollutants underscore the need for stronger environmental regulations to protect public health. In this article:

• Depleted Uranium May Have Same Health Effects as Lead
• Diesel Pollution Causes 21,000 Premature Deaths Each Year
• Mercury Reduces IQs of 300,000 to 600,000 Children Annually
• Urban Pollution Can Lead to Genetic Alterations, Cancer

Depleted Uranium Not Harmless