Congress acts to overturn Obama era regulation aimed at coal
Written by broebling on February 3, 2017
Press Release – Congress passed its first resolution that would overturn an Obama Administration regulation that was aimed at limiting coal production. The Senate voted today to send the resolution of disapproval to President Trump’s desk. The measure would end the “stream protection rule” issued by the Department of the Interior last year.
U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., hailed the vote as not only being important for coal communities, but also the first in a series of votes Congress should take to overturn last-minute and overreaching Obama era regulations.
“The Department of the Interior’s ‘stream protection rule’ is clearly aimed more at stopping coal production than protecting the environment,” Enzi said. “That is why I joined this resolution to end this harmful regulation. Coal is not only an abundant and inexpensive source of energy, but is a huge job creator, both directly and indirectly. The Obama Administration took many hasty steps to cement its legacy and the Senate should reverse these regulations that shouldn’t have ever been approved.”
The resolution of disapproval would not only ensure that the new rule would have no force or effect, but it would also prevent the same or similar rule from being reissued. These types of resolutions, brought under the Congressional Review Act, only require a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate to pass, instead of needing the normal 60 votes to get over procedural hurdles. The House passed the resolution earlier this week and President Trump is expected to sign it.
