Seeking to End Economic Uncertainty, Luetkemeyer Backs Legislation to Rein in EPA
Press Release
Continuing his efforts to reduce costly regulatory burdens forced on hard-working Americans by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) today voted to strip the EPA of its new-found authority under the Clean Air Act to limit the emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases from power plants, oil refineries and other sources.
"The American people simply cannot afford to be under the constrictions of many of these new proposed EPA regulations. Workers and consumers are being burdened by the negative economic impacts of these regulations and that cannot continue," Luetkemeyer said. "Congress, not EPA bureaucrats, must decide major economic and energy policy and that's precisely why I supported this legislation. It is time for Congress to restore certainty to our nation's job creators and one way we can do this is to put a stop to the EPA's bureaucratic and burdensome rulemaking authority."
The Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 does not affect in any way the EPA's authority to regulate pollution, including toxins, which can have public health impacts. The Energy Tax Prevention Act simply hinders the EPA's ability to levee energy taxes and enact costly regulations, freeing up capital that will help lead to job creation and economic growth.
Luetkemeyer said that the Obama administration is trying to regulate what it cannot legislate, and through the proposed cap-and-trade regulations, energy costs for American families would increase dramatically. For example, the EPA's regulations include a new proposal that could make it more expensive to refine oil into gasoline. These regulations would drive up energy prices, depress the economy and hamper job creation.
Luetkemeyer also stated that the American people simply cannot afford the onslaught of new proposed EPA regulations. A study by CRA International estimates that the EPA's cap-and-trade regulations could increase wholesale electricity costs by 35 percent to 45 percent and reduce average worker compensation by $700 a year.
Source