Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2401, Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this rule and the underlying legislation, H.R. 2401--the TRAIN Act. At a time when we have 14 million people out of work in this country, we must enact commonsense policies that will reduce the regulatory burden on job creators so that they can put people back to work.

Unfortunately, over the past 30 months under the Obama Administration, the EPA has issued a wide array of large, expensive regulations that affect virtually every facet of the U.S. economy, from homeowners, hospitals, and farmers to small businesses and manufacturers. H.R. 2401 addresses two of the more egregious of these regulations. First, the Utility MACT is designed to limit emissions of mercury, acid gases, and non-mercury metals from power plants. Next, the Transport Rule is designed to establish specific statewide caps for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants.

Madam Speaker, through these proposed rules, the combined cost on job creators will be $17.8 billion annually and will jeopardize 1.4 million jobs by 2020. The Utility MACT rule alone is estimated to increase electricity costs on families by nearly 4% at a time when our economy can least afford it.

As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I commend the leadership of Chairman UPTON and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman WHITFIELD for their leadership on this issue. H.R. 2401 would put the brakes on several of EPA's most damaging regulations until an interagency committee can fully study the cumulative effect of all proposed rules. This study would analyze both die health and social benefits as well, as the actual impact on economic competitiveness, trade, energy supplies, consumer spending, and jobs.

Madam Speaker, millions of out-of-work Americans are desperately crying out for us to help put them back to work. During these challenging economic times, we should not allow burdensome federal regulations from the EPA to add more people to the unemployment rolls. For this reason, I ask all of my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill.

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