Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15) is one of five Republicans who will become the focus of the 2012 congressional campaigns because of his support of the plan to remove funding for Planned Parenthood.
TPMDC:
....The message will be aimed at GOP Reps. Ann Marie Buerkle (NY), Bob Dold (IL), Nan Hayworth (NY), John Runyan (NJ) and Steve Stivers (OH). Democrats say that by informing voters in those districts of the details of the Republican plan to defund federal family planning programs -- part of a wider war on Planned Parenthood and federal abortion coverage -- they'll drive a wedge between moderate voters in the districts in question and their Republican members of Congress....
Stivers and his support of the radical right wing, anti-female agenda is especially troubling because the district he represents includes housing near the Ohio State University. Many female students who are away from home have been able to get gynecological medical attention through Planned Parenthood. Now Stivers and his GOP buddies want to deny them and other women that medical help. The Republicans are all for deregulation except when it comes to a woman's body and her reproductive freedom ----- then the Republicans want to force their views on everyone.
**** Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15) joined Republicans and "....voted to block EPA from implementing and enforcing standards to sharply reduce mercury and other toxic air emissions from a polluting industry....," according to Domyravend's blog.
Domyravend's blog:
...Mercury and lead both are dangerous neurotoxins—brain poisons—that harm the developing brains of children and fetuses. Dioxins are known human carcinogens linked to birth defects, reproductive abnormalities, and lung and breast cancer. Arsenic is a known human carcinogen linked to lung and kidney cancer and PCBs are probable human carcinogens linked to liver cancer.
On Feb.17, in a 250-177 vote, the House of Representatives approved an amendment by Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) to deny any funds to EPA to “implement, administer or enforce” mercury and other toxic air pollution standards for all cement plants in the country....
I guess he is just following the orders of his major contributors who are big time polluters. In case you are interested, the rest of the Ohio Republicans voted with Stivers (see Domyravend and ClerkoftheHouse: Roll Call Vote 86).
Those major polluters who helped out Stivers during the campaign have grabbed the attention of the good people at the NRDC Action Fund:
....Steve Stivers falsely calls cap and trade a “job killer” that will lead to higher electricity bills for Ohio families. In reality, strong clean energy and climate legislation would create a net of 1.9 million jobs, according to in-depth study by the University of Illinois, Yale University and the University of California. In Ohio, this would mean 61,000 new, good-paying jobs created over the next ten years. And, as analysis by the experts in the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office shows, the effect of ACES on electricity bills will be, as Rep. Kilroy said, less than going to the movies once a month.
Stivers doesn’t just stop at opposing clean energy and climate legislation, he also “disagree[s]” with the statement, “Man-made global warming is a scientific fact and immediate action to lower CO2 emissions is necessary to prevent an environmental catastrophe.” And, if denying the unassailable science behind climate change wasn’t enough, Stivers also opposes our right to hold the government accountable in court for protecting our public health and environment.
Stivers’ strong anti-environmental views are not so surprising when you consider the sources of his campaign cash, such as oil and coal services giant Koch Industries, Murray Energy,
and Rep. Joe Barton's Texas Freedom PAC.....
Koch Industries has been in the news recently because of their support for the anti-union activities of Americans for Prosperity and Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin. The Kochs also contributed to the John Kasich campaign in Ohio.) In the telephone call between Gov. Walker and a fake David Koch, Walker revealed that he and Kasich talk everyday. Can you say conspiracy?