Daines Applauds House Rebuke of President Obama’s Unaffordable Energy Regulations

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today applauded the House of Representative’s bipartisan vote to fully nullify President Obama’s anti-coal regulations that threaten more than 7,000 Montana jobs.

“Today Congress sent a clear message to President Obama that the American people don’t want and can’t afford his job-killing, anti-energy agenda. The United States should be on the cutting edge of technological advances in energy development – not actively working against American entrepreneurs who can help our country power the world,” Daines stated. “While it would be no surprise to see President Obama once against reject the will of the American people, I urge him to drop his veto threat and sign into law this commonsense legislation to rein in the unchecked fourth branch of government and protect thousands of good-paying union and tribal jobs.”

The House of Representatives today joined the Senate in passing two bipartisan resolutions disapproving of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan regulations on new and existing power sources. The Congressional Review Act resolutions of disapproval will block the Obama administration’s regulations on new and existing coal-fired power plants.   

Daines is an original cosponsor of both bipartisan resolutions of disapproval. The resolutions passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote on November 17, 2015. The resolutions now head to President Obama’s desk. 

The University of Montana (UM) Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) recently released a study on the economic implications of implementing the EPA’s new regulations in Montana. The study shows that the EPA’s new regulations will likely lead to the full closure of Montana’s Colstrip Power Plant and the loss of more than 7,000 good-paying Montana jobs.

Daines has long fought to protect Montana jobs and access to low-cost energy from the Obama administration’s overreach. Daines is an original cosponsor of the Affordable Reliable Energy Now Act (ARENA), which holds the EPA accountable and protects states’ rights by requiring the EPA to demonstrate how their proposed regulations could impact each state. 

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