Two-Thirds of Upton's Constituents Oppose His Bill To Block EPA From Updating Health Protections

New Poll Data Reveal Similar Findings in Districts of 8 Other House Energy & Commerce Committee Members; Voters Want Experts to Make the Calls, Not Politicians

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sixty-two percent of  House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton's constituents oppose a bill he is sponsoring to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to reduce carbon dioxide and other pollutants, a new poll reveals.

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.; Charlie Bass, R-N.H.; 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 Upton's constituents -- including 60 percent of Republicans -- 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 595 registered voters in the Michigan 6th congressional district was conducted February 4-5 2011 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.  (See http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Upton%20MI-6Results.pdf and http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Compiled%20PPP%202-6-11%20results%20table.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 Upton's bill and the chairman has indicated that he plans to move the legislation forward as quickly as possible.

Other key PPP survey findings from Chairman Upton's Michigan 6th Congressional District include the following:

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

More than 125 U.S. House Members -- including Energy and Commerce Committee members listed above -- have sponsored, co-sponsored or publicly indicated their support for one or more of the pending bills that put the agendas of polluters first at the expense of 24 million Americans with asthma, including seven million children.  (For more information, see http://www.nrdc.org/media/2011/110127.asp and http://216.250.243.12/nrdc_poll_memo_web.html.)

FINDINGS FOR OTHER CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif.  

(559 voters interviewed February 4-5/margin of error: plus or minus 4.1 percent)

• 59 percent say "Congress should let the EPA do its job."
• 53 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 56 percent oppose the Upton proposal "that would block the EPA from limiting carbon dioxide pollution."
• 51 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Bono%20Mack%20CA-45Results.pdf

Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo.

(519 voters interviewed February 4-5/margin of error: plus or minus 4.3 percent)

• 66 percent say "Congress should let the EPA do its job."
• 54 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 61 percent oppose the Upton proposal "that would block the EPA from limiting carbon dioxide pollution."
• 55 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Gardner%20CO-4%20Results.pdf

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.

(627 voters interviewed February 4-5/margin of error: plus or minus 3.9 percent)

• 72 percent say "Congress should let the EPA do its job."
• 63 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 66 percent oppose the Upton proposal "that would block the EPA from limiting carbon dioxide pollution."
• 61 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Kinzinger%20IL-11Results.pdf

Rep. Charlie Bass, R-N.H.

(555 voters interviewed February 4-5/margin of error: plus or minus 4.2 percent)

• 67 percent say "Congress should let the EPA do its job."
• 65 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 64 percent oppose the Upton proposal "that would block the EPA from limiting carbon dioxide pollution."
• 61 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Bass%20NH-2Results.pdf

Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J.

(628 voters interviewed February 4-5/margin of error: plus or minus 3.9 percent)

• 74 percent say "Congress should let the EPA do its job."
• 70 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 72 percent oppose the Upton proposal "that would block the EPA from limiting carbon dioxide pollution."
• 69 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Lance%20NJ-7Results.pdf

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Penn.

(692 voters interviewed February 4-5/margin of error: plus or minus 3.7 percent)

• 74 percent say "Congress should let the EPA do its job."
• 77 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 73 percent oppose the Upton proposal "that would block the EPA from limiting carbon dioxide pollution."
• 74 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Doyle%20PA-14Results.pdf

Rep. Charles A. Gonzalez, D-Texas

(506 voters interviewed February 4-6/margin of error: plus or minus 4.4 percent)

• 71 percent say "Congress should let the EPA do its job."
• 72 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 70 percent oppose the Upton proposal "that would block the EPA from limiting carbon dioxide pollution."
• 71 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/TX20Results.pdf

Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas

(597 voters interviewed February 4-5/margin of error: plus or minus 4 percent)

• 64 percent   say "Congress should let the EPA do its job."
• 72 percent say that "EPA needs to do more to hold polluters accountable and protect the air and water."
• 65 percent oppose the Upton proposal "that would block the EPA from limiting carbon dioxide pollution."
• 67 percent favor "the EPA setting new standards with stricter limits on air pollution."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Green%20TX-29Results.pdf

Full Public Policy Polling survey results for all nine House Energy and Commerce Committee districts are available online at http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/paltman/Compiled%20PPP%202-6-11%20results%20table.pdf.

Public Policy Polling undertook surveys in nine U.S. Congressional Districts.  Sample sizes, polling dates and the margin of errors associated with each are spelled out above.  PPP conducted automated telephone surveys of registered voters in the districts using voter lists provided by Aristotle Inc.  At least three attempts were made to reach every potential respondent.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.nrdc.org  as of 4 p.m. EST on February 10, 2011.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org.

Public Policy Polling is a national survey research firm located in Raleigh, North Carolina.  It was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the two most accurate polling companies in the country for its swing state polling in 2008. More recently it was recognized by the Washington Post and Politico for its pinpoint polling of the surprising results in the Delaware Republican Senate primary and the Massachusetts Senate special election.

SOURCE Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.