Following Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) refusal to consider any Republican amendments to the emergency unemployment insurance extension bill (H.R. 2874), U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) took to the Senate floor to ask unanimous consent for his amendment to hold the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) accountable to taxpayers by increasing Congressional oversight of costly regulations. Thune’s request was blocked by Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.).

Thune’s amendment would have required Congress to vote on any EPA regulation with costs greater than $50 million per year before that regulation could take effect. If Congress rejected the new regulation, the EPA would have to consider less costly alternatives to the proposed regulation.

Earlier today, Thune participated in a press conference with a number of his Senate Republican colleagues to discuss their job-creating energy amendments to the unemployment insurance extension bill.

Video of the Thune’s floor remarks and unanimous consent request can be viewed below.