Rep. Jenkins Joins 200+ Members in Supporting WV V EPA Court Case

U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) joined 170 House members and 34 senators in filing an amicus brief in support of West Virginia's court case against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its existing coal-fired power plant regulation.

"The EPA acted illegally in moving forward with this job-killing, anti-coal regulation. As a result, jobs have been lost in West Virginia while electricity prices rise. I am fighting in Congress using every tool possible to stop this EPA and this administration from killing our coal jobs. The Supreme Court has already halted this regulation, and I commend West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey for his leadership on this landmark case. I trust that the courts will see that the EPA has acted against Congress and the American people with this rule," Rep. Jenkins said.

Please click here to read the brief. The amicus brief, also known as a friend of the court brief, allows interested parties to address the court regarding a case.

"In reality, if Congress desired to give (the) EPA sweeping authority to transform the nation's electricity sector, Congress would have provided for that unprecedented power in detailed legislation. … Nor has Congress authorized (the) EPA to make the policy choices that are reflected in the final rule -- a rule that imposes enormous costs on states and the public without achieving meaningful climate benefits," the members wrote in the brief.

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily halted the rule to give the courts time to hear the case. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is scheduled to hear arguments in the State of West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al. on June 2.

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