WASHINGTON, DC - The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, chaired by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), today approved legislation to hold the Obama administration accountable for the total cost of EPA’s wave of biggest rules. H.R. 2401, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act, or TRAIN Act, was approved by the subcommittee by voice vote. The bipartisan bill now moves to the full Energy and Commerce Committee for consideration.
The TRAIN Act would require a cumulative analysis of major new rules recently proposed or promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency. This interagency analysis will provide a greater understanding of the global competitive and economic impacts of these rules. The subcommittee approved the TRAIN Act today for a second time; as an earlier version of the legislation passed the panel in May, also by voice vote. The bill’s authors, Energy and Power Subcommittee Vice Chairman John Sullivan (R-OK) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT), reintroduced the bill to place a ceiling on possible costs of the legislation and provide offsetting spending reductions, although it is expected that agencies will be able to complete the necessary economic analysis through existing resources by improving and better coordinating the studies they already conduct.
“I would like to applaud the efforts of Mr. Sullivan and Matheson on this bill," said Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee Fred Upton (R-MI). “The ultimate goal of the TRAIN Act is to preserve jobs and American competitiveness by providing information necessary to harmonize these regulations. This legislation represents a worthwhile attempt to provide information that could help avoid substantial and unnecessary regulatory costs in the years ahead."
“The Obama Administration’s lack of regard for the consequences of their energy and environmental policy is killing our economy and costing American jobs. It’s absurd for taxpayer funded federal agencies to impose burdensome regulations on consumers and businesses without first determining how much it’s going to cost and the potential consequences it could have on our overall economy," said Sullivan. “Our national unemployment rate rose to 9.2% over the past month - this further illustrates the need for an honest accounting of how much EPA’s regulations are costing our economy and American consumers, and that is exactly what the TRAIN Act will accomplish."
