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ByMatthewDaly The Associated Press WASHINGTON A refash- ioned bill to address prob- lems plaguing the Veterans Affairs Department should be approved by the Senate as soon as possible, Sen- ate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would give the VA author- ity to immediately remove senior executives based on poor job performance while preventing "wholesale po- litical firings" that Sanders said could be allowed un- der a similar bill approved by the House. The Senate bill also would allow veterans who can't get timely appoint- ments with VA doctors to go to community health centers, military hospi- tals or private doctors and would authorize VA to lease 27 new health facilities in 18 states. "This is really good leg- islation," Reid said Monday on the Senate floor. "Ev- ery senator should support this." The bill comes amid a growingscandaloverpatient delays and cover-ups at VA hospitals and clinics nation- wide that led to the resigna- tion last week of former Vet- eransAffairsSecretaryEric Shinseki.Afederalinvestiga- tion into the troubled Phoe- nix VA Health Care System foundthatabout1,700veter- ans in need of care were "at risk of being lost or forgot- ten" after being kept off an official waiting list. The investigation also found broad and deep- seated problems through- out the sprawling health care system, which pro- vides medical care to about 6.5 million veterans annu- ally. While those who have lied or manipulated data must be punished, "we also need to get to the root causes of the problems that have been exposed," said Sanders, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. With 2 million more veterans coming into the system in recent years, after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, "there are many facilities within the VA that do not have the doctors, nurses and other personnel that they need to provide quality care in a timely way," Sanders said. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Commit- tee, said the Senate should approve a bill he sponsored to give the VA secretary au- thority to immediately fire VA senior executives based on performance. The House approved the bill, 390-33, last month. Miller dismissed con- cerns expressed by Sand- ers and other Democrats that the House bill would "trample" on due-process rights and protections of VA employees. The House bill also could allow firing of whistleblowers, Sand- ers said. "Ironically, the same law- makers voicing these con- cerns do not afford similar 'rights' and 'protections' to their own employees, mak- ing their opposition to (the House bill) all the more in- comprehensible," Miller wrote Monday in a column onTimeMagazine'swebsite. Paul Rieckhoff, CEO and founder of Iraq and Afghan- istan Veterans of America, urged the Senate to ap- prove the House-passed bill "as its stands" and send the measure to President Barack Obama. At a Capitol Hill news conference Monday, Rieck- hoff described the Senate as the place "where good ideas go to die." Rieckhoff called for a criminal in investigation into the VA's health care system and said anyone who falsified records or other wrongdoing should be prosecuted. VETERANS Reid vows quick Senate vote on VA health bill By Dina Cappiello The Associated Press WASHINGTON In a sweep- ing initiative to curb pollut- antsblamedforglobalwarm- ing, the Obama administra- tion unveiled a plan Monday aimed at cutting carbon di- oxide emissions from power plants by nearly a third by 2030. But it delays the dead- line for some states to be- gin complying until long af- ter President Barack Obama leaves office. The 645-page plan, ex- pected to be finalized next year, is a centerpiece of Obama's efforts to deal with climate change and seeks to give the United States more leverage to prod other coun- tries to act when negotia- tions on a new international treaty resume next year. Un- der the plan, carbon emis- sions are to be reduced 30 percent from 2005 levels, in what would amount to one of the most significant U.S. ac- tions on global warming. Obama, in a conference call hosted by the American Lung Association, said the plan would both shrink elec- tricity prices and protect the health of vulnerable Ameri- cans. He scolded critics who he predicted would contend anew that the limits would crush jobs and damage the economy. "What we've seen every time is that these claims are debunked when you actu- ally give workers and busi- nesses the tools and the in- centives they need to inno- vate," Obama said. The proposal sets off a complex regulatory process, steeped in politics, in which the 50 states will each de- termine how to meet cus- tomized targets set by the Environmental Protection Agency, then submit those plans for approval. "This is not just about dis- appearing polar bears or melting ice caps," said EPA Administrator Gina McCar- thy. "This is about protect- ingourhealthandourhomes. This is about protecting local economies and jobs." Some states will be al- lowed to emit more pollut- ants and others less, leading to an overall, nationwide re- duction of 30 percent. Many states that rely heavily on coal will be spared from cutting a full 30 per- cent. West Virginia, for ex- ample, must reduce the pol- lution it puts out per amount of power by 19 percent com- pared to the rate in 2012. Ohio's target is 28 percent less, while Kentucky and Wyoming will have to find ways to make 18 percent and 19 percent cuts in their electricity generation's effi- ciency. On the other extreme, New York has a 44 percent target, EPA figures show. But New York already has joined with other Northeast states to curb carbon diox- ide from power plants, re- ducing the baseline figure from which cuts must be made. States like New York can get credit for actions they've already taken, lest they be punished for taking early action. Initially, Obama wanted each state to submit its plan by June 2016. But the draft proposal shows states could have until 2017 — and 2018, if they join with other states. That means even if the rules survive legal and other challenges, the dust won't likely settle on this trans- formation until well into the next administration, raising the possibility that political dynamics in either Congress or the White House could al- ter the rule's course. Although Obama doesn't need a vote in Congress to approve his plans, lawmak- ers in both the House and Senate have already vowed to try to block them — in- cluding Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall, who faces a dif- ficult re-election this year in coal-dependent West Vir- ginia. Scuttling the rules could be easier if Republi- cans take the Senate in No- vember and then the White House in 2016. Another potential flash point: The plan relies heav- ily on governors agreeing to develop plans to meet the federal standard. If Repub- lican governors refuse to go along, as was the case with Obama's expansion of Med- icaid, the EPA can create its own plan for a state. But the specifics of how EPA could force a state to comply with that plan remain murky. The EPA projected that carrying out the plan will cost up to $8.8 billion an- nually in 2030, but the ac- tual costs will depend heav- ily on how states choose to reach their targets. The ad- ministration argued that any costs to comply are far out- weighed by savings in health expenses that the U.S. will realize thanks to reductions in other pollutants such as soot and smog that will ac- company a shift away from dirtier fuels. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Obama: Plant rule will shrink power prices ELAINETHOMPSON—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS A train hauls coal from an Arch Coal Inc. mine in the Powder River basin of Montana and Wyoming heads north out of downtown Seattle in 2012. By Jonathan Fahey The Associated Press NEWYORK Companies that generate electric power with anything other than coal — and companies that produce cleaner fuels or efficiency technologies — are likely to benefit from the Obama Administration's new pro- posed limits on carbon di- oxide emissions from power plants. The biggest U.S. natural gas producer, Exxon Mo- bil, will likely see higher demand for its fuel, which emits half the carbon diox- ide as coal. The biggest nu- clear power generator, Ex- elon, and biggest wind farm operator, Next Era Energy, may fetch higher prices for their carbon-free power. Companies that sell wind turbines, solar panels, or energy efficiency tech- nology — such as General Electric, Siemens, First So- lar and SunPower — may also come out winners. Coal stands to be a big loser. Last year 78 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from the electric power sector came from coal. Electric customers will likely pay higher prices for power, though efficiency measures could reduce the impact of higher prices. The proposed rule, an- nounced Monday, would require a 30 percent re- duction in carbon dioxide from the electric power sector from 2005 levels by 2030. The rule isn't sched- uled to become final until next year and it will likely face extensive political and legal challenges. If the rule goes through, states will have until 2018 to develop their own plans to meet the new targets. How each state decides to do this will determine how much it will help or hurt customers, power compa- nies, and others who sup- ply fuels or technology to the industry. The impact of the rule, though, may be less than advocates and opponents say. Emissions have fallen so fast since 2005 that the country is already nearly halfway to its goal. Sepa- rate clean air rules are ex- pected to have a side effect of reducing emissions by another 5 percent by 2018. That will leave the country 12 years to reduce emis- sions by another 10 percent, an amount Bernstein Re- search's Hugh Wynne calls "eminently doable." Winners • Nuclear Generators. If carbon-free power becomes more valuable to the mar- ketplace, no one will bene- fit more than nuclear power producers such as Exelon, Entergy, Public Service En- terprise Group and First Energy. • Natural Gas compa- nies. Companies that pro- duce natural gas, such as Exxon and Chesapeake En- ergy; or deliver it, such as Spectra Energy and Kinder Morgan; or produce power with it, like Calpine, could benefit. Bernstein Re- search estimates that a 10 percent reduction in car- bon dioxide emissions could lead to a 12 percent rise in U.S. natural gas demand. • Renewables. Compa- nies that make wind tur- bines or solar panels, or de- velop or operate wind and solar farms, could benefit a couple of ways. States may encourage or subsidize con- struction, and clean power may become more valuable in the market. • Electric technology companies. Companies that help make equipment and technology that helps the grid deliver power more ef- ficiently or helps customers reduce their power could benefit. Those include ABB, Honeywell, Schneider Elec- tric, Opower and Silver Spring Networks. Losers • Coal miners. U.S. coal production has declined in recent years, especially in higher-cost regions such as Appalachia. A 10 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will mean a de- cline of 180 million tons, or 18 percent, in U.S. coal pro- duction, according to Bern- stein Research. That would hurt miners such as Pea- body Energy, Alpha Natural Resources and Arch Coal. • Railroads. U.S. rail- roads depend on shipping coal for a significant per- centage of their revenue. If utilities use less, railroads will ship less. • Coal generators. Com- panies such as NRG Energy and Dynegy that generate electricity with coal-fired powered power plants in unregulated markets may either have to pay for power plant upgrades or pollution allowances, which would reduce profits. • Electric customers. Power prices and power bills are influenced by many factors, but environ- mental regulations tend to push power prices up. ENERGY Carbon rule: Surprise winners, losers Select"Subscribe"tabinlowerrightcorner Complete information for automatic weekly delivery to your email inbox That's it! This FREE service made possible by the advertisers in TV Select Magazine Kindly patronize and thank them. Click on their ads online to access their websites! FREE online subscription to TV Select Magazine Digital edition emailed to you, every Saturday! 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