WASHINGTON, DC - Today, bipartisan leaders on the Energy and Commerce Committee formally introduced the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011″ (the “TRAIN Act"). This bill, H.R. 1705, would require an interagency committee to analyze the cumulative impacts of certain rules issued by the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency. This complete analysis will give lawmakers and the public a better understanding of how the issuance of many large regulations on such a short timeline will impact American jobs, energy prices, reliability of the electricity supply, and how they impact consumers and American competitiveness abroad.
The bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives John Sullivan (R-OK) and Jim Matheson (D-UT), both members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill was co-sponsored by 15 republican and democratic representatives, including Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) and Ranking Member Gene Green (D-TX).
“Unfortunately, this Administration’s lack of regard for the economic consequences of its environmental and energy agenda is hindering our ability to get the economy back on track. Many of EPA’s regulations under consideration will cost our country billions, impacting everything from energy reliability, jobs, manufacturing and the global economic competitiveness of the United States," said Sullivan. “The truth is the EPA has no idea how much all of this regulation is costing our economy, because it has failed to conduct a study of the overall, cumulative cost of their regulatory agenda. We desperately need an honest accounting of how much the EPA’s regulatory train wreck is costing our economy and American consumers, which is exactly what the bipartisan TRAIN Act will accomplish."
“I have heard from many Utahns who invest in and operate plants and equipment that produce energy. They worry about being in compliance with a dozen or so new environmental regulations that are rolling out over the next two years. While the costs and benefits of many of these rules have been looked at individually, the EPA hasn’t stepped back to evaluate the cumulative effects. That’s what this bill will help determine," said Matheson.
