McConnell Comments on President Obama’s Ozone Rule
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following comments today regarding the Obama Administration’s latest regulation dubbed the “most expensive regulation in U.S. history”:
“The Obama Administration’s latest attack on the Middle Class, another massive regulation with negligible benefits that threatens to ship American jobs overseas, could throw thousands of Kentuckians out of work every year and impose hundreds of millions in costs on Kentucky employers. Nationwide, it could lead to massive job loss and cost tens of billions annually in lost economic growth. No wonder it’s being called the costliest regulation in American history. No wonder we’ve seen even the Obama Administration’s traditional union allies fret publicly about ‘the detrimental impact’ these ‘extreme requirements’ would have on American jobs and the American economy.
“The Obama Administration should focus on helping the communities across our country that still struggle to comply with current Washington mandates, not callously impose even more harsh costs on families and jobs. I will continue to fight back against this rule and others on behalf of the many Kentuckians who make our economy work.”
BACKGROUND:
Earlier this year, Senator McConnell secured several provisions – including one addressing the ozone rule -- in the Senate Interior Appropriations bill that seek to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing onerous regulations that would have a negative impact on Kentucky’s economy. He inserted language to prohibit the EPA from regulating a standard for ozone or “smog” levels until at least 85 percent of counties nationwide that are not in compliance are able to do so. He also secured a measure that would protect states from any consequences from the EPA should they forego submitting a state plan for complying with the agency’s recently finalized power plant rule. Finally, the bill contains his provision that would prohibit implementation and funding of the so-called Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule that would classify nearly all wetlands, including small ponds and ditches, as “navigable” waters and thus subject to interference by Washington.
Senator McConnell is also a cosponsor of Senator Thune’s Clean Air, Strong Economies (CASE) Act, which prohibits the EPA from enforcing its national ambient air quality standards for ozone until at least 85% of counties that are not in compliance with the current standards are able to comply.
Related Issues: Jobs, Economy, Middle Class, Regulations, EPA
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