Clean Power Plan Regulations

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, now on yet another matter, a few years ago the Obama administration rolled out a massive regulatory scheme they dubbed a ``Clean Power Plan,'' an odd choice, given that it would not have a meaningful impact on global emissions or the health of our planet. Here is what those massive regulations likely would do, though: ship middle-class jobs overseas, punish the poor, impose more pain on Kentucky coal families who just want to put food on the table--all for the sake, one must assume, of letting well-off folks on the left feel better about themselves for ``doing something.''

It is pretty clear that the administration's energy regulations threaten a lot of middle-class pain for hardly any substantive environmental gain. There is another huge problem too. These regulations are, in my view, likely illegal. Yesterday's Supreme Court order is just the latest sign of that. If nothing else, it shows we were right to let Governors know their options. We thought Governors should know they could take a wait-and-see approach before locking their States into some massive regulatory scheme. We thought Governors should know the economic jeopardy they would place their States in by moving ahead without a clearer understanding first of what might be legally required. We thought Governors should not feel bullied by the heavy hand of this administration. That cautious approach was the most responsible one, in my view. Yesterday's decision shows it was a prudent one as well. We will see what the Supreme Court ultimately decides, but we are going to keep fighting against these regressive regulations regardless.

It is worth remembering how we got here in the first place. President Obama tried to push a regressive, anti-middle class energy tax through a Democratic-controlled Congress, and his own party said no. That was in 2010 when Democrats controlled the Senate. They said no. He simply went around Congress to impose a similarly regressive plan anyway.

Kentuckians in the eastern part of my State are experiencing a severe depression--a depression that policies such as these are only making worse. I have repeatedly invited Gina McCarthy and the President to my home State to see the devastation firsthand. They have yet to accept. But even if they won't come to us, we have brought the concerns of Kentuckians directly to them. For example, we have brought constituents to administration hearings in Washington to try to make people here listen.

I put myself on the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior so that I could have a stronger influence in the oversight of the EPA budget. It has given me the opportunity to shed light on the struggles of my home State and question officials like Gina McCarthy. It has given me the chance to push for policy riders in legislation that would undermine or overturn these regulations in their entirety. I have repeatedly done so and will continue to do so. I have also worked successfully with Members of both parties to pass measures through Congress that would also overturn these anti-middle class regulations in their entirety.

President Obama pulled out all the stops to defeat previous attempts to pass riders. He vetoed the bipartisan measures we passed through Congress. But he cannot stop the Supreme Court from making the right decision, as we hope it ultimately will. He also cannot stop the American people from electing a successor who is ready to support the middle class.

Here is the bottom line. I think we owe it to the people under attack to represent them and to stand up on their behalf. The Americans whom these regulations attack have committed no crime. They have done nothing wrong. They are human beings with families. It is about time we had an administration that treated them that way. Until then, we will keep fighting and we will celebrate important progress along the way, just as we did with yesterday's Supreme Court action.

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