Blog: Supreme Court Hears Arguments Against Burdensome EPA Regulations

Statement

I am concerned about the increasing costs of electricity. Families in Missouri's Fourth District are being squeezed with ever-increasing electric bills, while income is too often limited or fixed. This Administration's policies have made energy costs burdensome for too many Missourians. If these Washington-centric regulations persist, energy costs will spiral further out of control.

Last year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced a rule to curb greenhouse gas emissions from coal and oil power plants. Implementing these regulations would drastically reduce coal use as a source of electricity. More than 80% of Missouri's energy comes from coal, and one-third of Missouri households rely on electricity to heat their homes. Simply put: coal is an abundant, cost-effective energy source for many Missourians. If it goes away, energy costs will increase significantly for Missouri households.

These EPA regulations will significantly raise energy costs for Missourian households. The average Missouri household already spends over $1500 in energy costs each year. According to Ameren Corporation, implementing the EPA's proposed rules would cost Ameren approximately $4 billion; creating additional costs which would be forced on to their customers.

On Wednesday the U.S. Supreme Court heard challenges to the EPA's rules and regulations. I hope our Justices will see this rule as unconstitutional. Interestingly, Laurence Tribe, President Obama's mentor and long-time environmentalist, decried the constitutionality of this rule stating, "I've cared about the environment since I was a kid…[but b]urning the Constitution should not become part of our national energy policy."

A top-down bureaucracy implementing regulations rarely solves problems. In this case, it hurts Missouri families' bottom lines. Last summer, I toured the Fourth district discussing the impacts of these proposed rules, supported bills reining in EPA overreach, and joined my House colleagues in urging Administration officials to rescind policies that harm hard-working Americans. The fight must continue. Too much is at stake. I will continue to oppose the EPA's burdensome regulations so Missourians can maintain access to affordable, abundant, and reliable energy.

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