Rep. Young Votes to Rein in Job-Killing Regulations

Press Release

The House of Representative today passed H.R. 3409, the Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 -- which contains language similar to Alaskan Congressman Don Young's bill, H.R. 517. The Stop the War on Coal Act, reins in many of the job-killing regulations President Obama has enacted during his first term that specifically target fossil fuels. H.R. 3409 passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 233-175.

The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011, one of the five bills contained in H.R. 3409, would restrict the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to veto Army Corps of Engineers 404 permits. This provision, a top priority for Rep. Young, fulfills the goal behind his legislation, H.R. 517, which repeals the EPA's authority to deny/veto a 404 permit issued by the Army Corps of Engineers.

"This administration has declared an all out war on fossil fuels," said Rep. Young. "Whether it's coal or oil and gas, this administration's focus has been to attack these industries through regulatory law while at the same time subsidizing expensive and unproven energy sources."

"It's time for the Obama administration to come back to reality and realize that our planes, trains, ships and automobiles all rely on fossil fuels! The House passed a good bill today that will create thousands of jobs and lower energy costs, but our work is not finished until we have an "all of the above' energy plan that includes fossil fuels."

The Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 includes the following bills:

H.R. 3409, the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act
H.R. 910, Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011
H.R. 2401, Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011
H.R. 2273, Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act
H.R. 2018, Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011

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