On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Bill Johnson’s (R-OH), H.R. 4557, the Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns (BRICK) Act by a bipartisan vote of 238 -163. The BRICK Act would protect the brickmaking industry and thousands of jobs from being required to comply with the EPA’s costly “Brick MACT" rule before the completion of judicial review.
A number of bipartisan members took to the House floor to voice their support for protecting the thousands of direct and indirect jobs the brick industry supports. You can watch some of the highlights below.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bill Johnson, stated, “This rule needlessly jeopardizes good paying jobs all across America… and for what reason? … The brick industry primarily consists of small family owned businesses. They’re often located in small communities that depend on the plant for good paying jobs. To comply with the EPA’s requirement, these small businesses will be forced to borrow millions of dollars to pay for the required control technology."
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), an original co-sponsor to the bill added, “I am supportive, Mr. Speaker, of reducing emissions and I’m also in favor of protecting our environment. But this must be done in an economically viable way. It is simply unfair for regulators to continue to move back the goal posts on small brick manufacturers like Henry Brick Company."
Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), also an original co-sponsor to the bill, voiced his support for the bill stating, “It’s much more than brick kilns. It’s about when can the EPA force a company do something. We would hope they could only do it after its been ruled legal by the courts if someone challenges the rule and that’s what this does."
Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), also an original co-sponsor to the bill, voiced his support for the bill, saying, “A basic material for homebuilding and construction, bricks are more than just a figurative cornerstone in the United States construction industry. Passing this legislation would guarantee the EPA would wait until its 2015 emissions standards are reviewed by courts before implementing the rule and before manufacturers across the country are needlessly required to spend millions of dollars."
Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) concluded, “I might say to the 7,000 people employed in this industry, to the owners of the companies, this is very important; because some of them may very well lose their business, may very well lose their jobs… Are we going to let an EPA, adopting extreme rules under this administration make all the decisions or will the Congress of the United States try to stand up and pass some legislation not reversing, not changing but simply saying, since lawsuits have been filed lets give the court the opportunity to determine if the regulation is legal or not legal?"
For a fact sheet on the BRICK Act, click here. Related Items
* House Passes Bill to Protect Brick Industry and Jobs from EPA Regulation
* H.R. 4557, The Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns (BRICK) Act
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* Committee Clears 15 Bills That Say #Yes2Energy
* #SubEnergyPower Examines Two Bills to Counter EPA Overreach
