Accountability for the Unaccountable EPA

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) released the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot disregard potential costs its rules could inflict when developing regulations:

"The mere fact that the EPA wished to ignore the costs of its rules demonstrates how little the agency is concerned about the effects it has on the American people. From its ozone to greenhouse gas to navigable waters rules, the EPA continues to burden the public with more and more costs even as so many are still struggling to get by and improve their lives in this economy.

"The House has consistently worked to ensure the American people have a strong voice in the development of regulations that impact their way of life.

"The Supreme Court's decision today vindicates the House's legislative actions to rein in bureaucratic overreach and institute some common sense in rulemaking. This year, the House passed the Regulatory Accountability Act, which could have stopped or altered the EPA rule subject to the Supreme Court's ruling today by requiring agencies to choose the least costly rulemaking option possible. And to ensure American families, workers, and businesses are heard, we will continue to pursue policies that require basic cost-benefit analysis for rules and regulations that will have significant economic costs, as the rule in question would.

Today's decision firmly rejects the Obama Administration's circumvention of the democratic process and restores a dose of accountability to the increasingly unaccountable executive branch."

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