Senator John MccCain Cosponsors Bipartisan Senate Resolutions To Stop Harmful Obama Administration Environmental Regulations

Statement

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) cosponsored two bipartisan Senate resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act today that would stop the Obama Administration from moving forward with its so-called "Clean Power Plan" environmental regulations, which will have a negative effect on Arizona businesses and consumers. The first resolution, cosponsored by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), would halt Clean Power Plan regulations for existing power sources, and the second resolution, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, would stop regulations for new power sources.

These resolutions follow the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) publication of the Clean Power Plan in the Federal Register. Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress can overturn actions by a federal agency, like the EPA, after a rule is formally published and submitted to Congress. If the resolutions are enacted into law, they would nullify the Clean Power Plan, including any portions of the regulations that have already gone into effect.

"The EPA's so-called "Clean Power Plan' will disproportionately affect Arizonans, who will be forced to foot the bill for millions in added compliance costs as a direct result of the Obama Administration's executive overreach," said Senator McCain. "I will continue to do everything I can to stop this final rule from taking effect, which will do nothing to lower the cost of electricity and will only serve to burden Arizona businesses and consumers -- especially low-income families who are least able to afford electricity rate hikes."

Senators McCain and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have been working in Congress to prevent the Obama Administration's Clean Power Plan and other environmental regulations from burdening small businesses and consumers across the State of Arizona. They recently wrote a letter to the EPA urging the agency to address concerns about the Clean Power Plan, including its disproportionate effect on Arizonans. In addition, the Senate passed a bill introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and cosponsored by Senators McCain and Flake that would prevent the EPA from using its Clean Water Rule to add new costs to business and property-owners by regulating land or isolated water. Senators McCain and Flake have also introduced a bill to force the EPA to rewrite its water rule using peer-reviewed science, which it failed to do before finalizing the rule. Further, Senator McCain sent a letter urging the EPA to consider the grave impacts its regulations could have on American businesses and the economy.

Senators McCain and Flake warn about the harmful effects of these and other Obama Administration environmental regulations in an op-ed published by The Arizona Republic.

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