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Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House successfully passed S.J.Res.23 and S.J.Res.24 which will trigger the Congressional Review Act to effectively block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) arbitrary regulations for new and existing power plants:
“No amount of self-righteous claims or baseless partisan attacks from President Obama will change the fact that he has no power to enact his fanatical environmental agenda, period. His backdoor attempts to rule by executive fiat have been repeatedly and resoundingly rejected by Congress, federal courts and the American people. The president’s war on coal is unlawful and extremely misguided as nearly 40% of our nation’s electricity is generated from this important resource... that includes electricity to charge the luxury hybrid car of the president’s climate change buddy, Al Gore.
“Once again, I challenge the president to follow the law and attempt to pass his Clean Power Plan through the legislative process. If he truly believes that his ideas are worthy of action, why continue to circumvent the process? The reality is the American people will never submit to bogus cap-and-trade mandates. Further, the president failed to pass cap-and-tax through Congress when the Democrats controlled both Houses in 2010. Hard-working taxpayers can’t afford more EPA regulations that will drive up energy prices and cost our economy billions of dollars each year. The American people have said no, Congress has said no and it is only a matter of time before the courts say no. Let the president stew over that ‘inconvenient truth’ on his flight back from Paris.”
Background:
Congressman Gosar is a cosponsor of H.J.Res.71 and H.J.Res.72, the two identical House bills that recently passed the Energy and Commerce Committee.
From the House Republican Conference: S.J. Res. 23 and 24 would disapprove of EPA’s rules to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) from new and existing plants. The rules were issued pursuant to the President’s Climate Action Plan and published on October 23, 2015. They would put in place an unprecedented new regulatory structure on the U.S. electricity sector, effectively imposing renewable energy and cap-and-trade mandates similar to those in the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade legislation that failed in 2010. In these rules, the administration is seeking to regulate where it could not legislate. The resolutions would provide for Congressional disapproval of each rule, and that each rule shall have no force and effect. Under the Congressional Review Act, the agency may not issue the same or a substantially similar rule unless authorized by subsequent legislation. Passage of these resolutions will ensure that the United States continues to pursue an “all of the above” energy policy, that households and businesses continue to have access to affordable and reliable energy, and that we protect American ratepayers and jobs.
Twenty-seven states, twenty-four national trade associations, thirty-seven electric cooperatives, ten major companies, and three labor unions have all sought to stop one or both of these EPA rules through the appropriate legal avenues due to the harm these rules pose to the availability of affordable and reliable electricity.
Supporters and endorsements of S.J.Res.23 and S.J.Res.24 include National Taxpayers Union, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, American Iron and Steel Institute, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, Competitive Enterprise Institute, American Energy Alliance and Americans for Prosperity.
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