(Above: Sen. Jeff Sessions questions EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy)

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, just wanted EPA Head Gina McCarthy to answer a simple question for the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

“Ms. McCarthy,” Sessions began, “the president has said repeatedly — at least three times — that ‘the temperature around the globe is increasing faster than was predicted ten years ago.’ Is that accurate or not?”

But she couldn’t bring herself to give a straight answer.

“I do know some of the facts that I can provide to you,” McCarthy replied.

“No, I just asked you if that was an accurate statement. Has is increased faster than predicted or not?” Sessions asked again.

“I do not know what the president’s context was for making that…” McCarthy tried to interject.

After Sessions asked the question several more times and McCarthy danced around it time and again, an exasperated Sessions finally asked, “Do I not have the right to ask the Director of EPA a simple question that is relevant to the dispute that is before us?”

Then he tried one last time.

“Is the temperature around the globe increasing faster than was predicted, even 10 years ago [as the President claimed]?”

To which McCarthy replied, “I can’t answer that question.”

And that’s when Sen. Sessions got to the heart of the matter.

“You are asking us to impose billions of dollars of cost on this economy,” Sessions said, “and you won’t answer the simple question of whether [temperature around the globe is increasing faster than predicted] is an accurate statement or not?”

According to Ryan Young of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, EPA regulations cost the American economy a stunning $353 billion each year. As they continue be the Obama Administration’s agency of choice for implementing their global warming agenda, that number is poised to only go higher from here.

Watch the full exchange between Sen. Sessions and Ms. McCarthy in the video above.

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