Power Plan Regulations

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, when President Obama tried to push a regressive anti-middle-class energy tax through a Democratic-controlled Congress, his own party said no. Undeterred, the President simply went around Congress to impose similarly regressive--and likely illegal--power plan regulations anyway. He is currently trying to sell that power plan to world leaders in Paris, as proof of the American Government's commitment to his energy priorities. But with all due respect to the President as our Commander in Chief, governments currently engaged in this round of climate talks will want to know that there is more than just an executive branch in our system of government.

More than half of the States have filed suit against the President's power plan. A bipartisan majority in both Chambers of Congress have approved legislation that rejects the President's plan. The courts appear likely to strike it down, and the next President could simply tear it up. This is the easily foreseeable result of intentionally sidestepping Congress to impose this anti-middle-class power plan.

If left in place, the power plan threatens to punish the poor and could result in the elimination of as many as a quarter of a million U.S. jobs. For what? The power plan won't even meaningfully affect global climate emissions, and it could actually increase emissions by offshoring American manufacturing to countries that lack our environmental standards.

That is pain for the middle class, a climate rounding error for negotiators in Paris. That is not a good policy for America's working families. It certainly would not be responsible to attempt to negotiate commitments based upon an illegal power plan, one that may not even survive much longer, in any event.

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