Cassidy Comments On Obama's Destructive EPA Regulations

Press Release

Today, Congressman Bill Cassidy commented on the Obama Administration's proposal that will force power plants to cut carbon emissions by up to 20 percent.

Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) released the following statement:

"When will the President care as much for the American worker as he does about his notions of climate change? The GDP decreased last quarter, the number of unemployed Americans is too high and families are struggling. The Federal Government should focus on creating jobs. Instead, President Obama is proposing regulations that hamstring the economy, raising utility costs for families and destroying tens of thousands of jobs. I will continue to push back against EPA over-regulation and fight for pro-growth energy policies that will help, not hurt, Louisiana businesses and families."

President Obama is using his executive authority under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to impose a cap-and-trade policy to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that he could not get through Congress.

President Obama's Climate Action Plan, written by the EPA, will require deep cuts in carbon emissions from existing power plants, including 25 percent by 2020 and 30 percent by 2030.

These cuts come on top of the EPA's previously proposed regulations that would require new coal plants to install carbon capture and storage technologies that are not yet commercially available, effectively banning the construction of even the most state-of-the-art coal-fired plants.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, the latest proposed regulations would lower the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $51 billion. This could result in an average of 224,000 jobs lost every year through 2030. For the region encompassing Louisiana, GDP growth would be curbed by $8.2 billion, costing 36,000 jobs. There would be $36 billion in new expenditures, which would be passed on to customers, potentially driving up electricity prices.

Rep. Cassidy introduced the House-passed legislation, the Energy Consumers Relief Act (H.R. 1582), to protect consumers by requiring greater oversight for EPA regulations. He also recently called on EPA Administrator McCarthy to stop imposing regulations that are hurting jobs and businesses in Louisiana's energy service industry.

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