WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) welcomed today’s news that President Obama is calling on the EPA to withdraw its controversial proposal to voluntarily revisit a 2008 ozone standard - a plan that the agency itself projected would impose annual costs of as much as $90 billion. The EPA’s ozone rule is one of numerous pending regulations from the agency that will cost hundreds of thousands of jobs and impose tens of billions of dollars in costs on our already struggling economy. Upton and Whitfield issued the following statement:
“This sudden admission by President Obama that ill-considered regulations do, in fact, have a negative impact upon our economy is a welcome breakthrough. A healthy economy demands certainty and flexibility; more regulatory burdens and uncertainty have forced America’s job creators, large and small businesses alike, to the sidelines to sit on trillions of dollars in capital out of fear. We know that folks can’t go to work at factories that never get built or are forced to shut their doors, and it is very clear that a new ozone proposal would have sent millions of jobs someplace other than the U.S.
“This is a positive step forward, particularly in light of today’s disappointing economic news - it is clear that our economy could not sustain the burden created by this completely discretionary proposal. The EPA’s effort to voluntarily revisit the ozone standard is one of numerous actions this administration has imposed or is preparing that are causing lasting economic damage and blocking the job creation we so desperately need. The avalanche of rulemakings Speaker Boehner detailed in his letter to the president last week highlights just how large the remaining regulatory threat looms, and we encourage the president to follow today’s action with similar steps to prevent EPA from shipping our jobs overseas.
“The Energy and Commerce Committee has crafted thoughtful, bipartisan solutions to protect working families and job creators from the further onslaught of EPA regulations. Our legislation is primed for consideration when the House returns after Labor Day, and with the president’s change of heart on regulations, we welcome his support in having our pro-jobs and pro-growth measures signed into law." See Also
* HEARING: #SubEnergyPower to Examine Ozone Standards Implementation Act