Lankford Proud to Support the Stop the War on Coal Act

Statement

To help mitigate the Obama Administration's unbalanced favoritism to certain energy sectors, Representative James Lankford (R-OK) supported the Stop the War on Coal At, which passed the House today in a vote of 233-175.

"We simply do not have the infrastructure to exclusively utilize only those energy sources that this Administration deems worthy," said Rep. Lankford. "While we continue to integrate other sources of power and fuel into our regimen, we cannot shut down sources of energy through excessive, job-killing red tape. The war on coal is unjustified and unrealistic. Fueling about half of our electricity needs, coal is a necessity for a successful energy future.

"This Administration claims to support an "all of the above' energy strategy that clearly means "all-of-the-above-the-ground' energy.

"Anything that comes from below the ground--oil, natural gas, and coal--is under attack from the Obama administration," Lankford added. "Good, paying jobs and responsibly-priced electricity are at risk because of this President's policies."

H.R. 3409, the Stop the War on Coal Act, would reduce red tape on coal companies and require regulatory and cost analysis of certain EPA rules. The bill would also allow states to regulate coal ash and would move the authority for setting Clean Water Act water quality standards from the EPA to individual states.

"The Obama Administration utilizes taxpayer dollars to subsidize solar, wind and hydro-electric power while condemning traditional energy sources," observed Lankford. "However, what they fail to realize is that the electric car--a favorite of the green energy crowd--is powered by a plug in the wall, pulling energy from a coal-powered plant."

Ninety-three percent of American-produced coal is used for electricity. The coal industry operates in more than half of U.S. states and employs nearly 550,000 people. This industry is vital to helping us reach American independence and helping ease unemployment rates.

"The EPA constantly tries to regulate every aspect of energy production, including air visibility, which is why I offered an amendment to this bill to cut EPA regional haze red tape. I completely disagree that bureaucrats in Washington, DC know more about the health and safety of Oklahomans than Oklahomans."

"This bill further shows that the House puts our faith in the states to regulate energy production and conserve our beautiful land, water, and air," concluded Lankford.

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