Coats Supports Legislation to Study Impact of EPA Regulations over Next 20 Years

Press Release

Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) today supported the Comprehensive Assessment of Regulations on the Economy Act (CARE Act), legislation requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review the impact of its rules and regulations on the economy over the next 20 years.

"Our economy is ailing and the EPA's irresponsible actions have cost jobs, increased energy prices and brought uncertainty to employers," said Coats. "This legislation will expose the damaging impacts of the EPA's reckless, job-destroying agenda. We need more congressional oversight of this agency that continues to circumvent Congress and overstep its boundaries."

Last week, Coats called on President Obama to rein in the agency after an announcement by American Electric Power (AEP) that it will retire a portion of the Tanners Creek coal power plant in Lawrenceburg, Indiana as a result of a series of EPA regulations. Click here to read Coats' statement on AEP's recent announcement.

The CARE Act would:

* Create a committee to assess the effects of EPA's regulatory mandates, including key provisions of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Solid Waste Disposal Act;

* Include an evaluation of the cumulative effects of the EPA's mandates on employment, economic development, electric reliability, energy security, retail electricity rates, gasoline prices, state and local governments, small businesses, agriculture and energy intensive industries; and

* Retain statutory authority for adopting and implementing regulations.

The CARE Act, sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and supported by Coats, has been offered as an amendment to the Economic Development Act currently under consideration in the Senate.

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