Lisa Jackson last week blasted what she called 'draconian measures' against the EPA. EPA chief faces hostile House GOP

The showdown between House Republicans and the White House over climate change and environmental policies kicks off Wednesday with EPA chief Lisa Jackson as the star witness.

The Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on legislation floated last week by Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.


Jackson last week blasted what she called “draconian measures” aimed at handcuffing her agency, and insisted that the White House would veto legislation to take away its regulatory authority.

“These efforts would halt EPA’s common-sense steps under the Clean Air Act to protect Americans from harmful air pollution that until now has not been regulated at all from any sources in this country,” she said.

The EPA chief wasn’t included in the initial witness list posted by the committee, but the agency is expecting an official invitation Monday.

“We’ve been told to anticipate a formal invite from the committee tomorrow, and our staff have told committee staff the administrator will appear,” EPA spokesman Brendan Gilfillan told POLITICO on Sunday.

Republicans have also summoned Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott – an outspoken critic of EPA’s climate rules – to testify Wednesday. Texas is one of several states challenging the administration’s climate regulations in court, and Abbott urged Obama in a recent letter to rethink EPA’s “misguided and illegal attempt to use the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.”

Upton last year said Jackson, as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, should expect to have their own parking spaces reserved outside the Rayburn Office Building.

“We’ll paint the curb yellow for them,” he said.