The following are statements from elected officials in West Virginia:
From the Office of US Sen. Joe Manchin:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) issued the following statement on the energy executive order President Trump signed today:
“Since I was Governor, I have fought against unnecessary bureaucratic regulations that harm our way of life with no regard for the catastrophic economic impacts they have on West Virginians. We need to strike a balance between the environment and the economy. The Clean Power Plan never achieved that balance. Rolling back this regulation is a positive step towards preventing further job loss, increases to consumer energy bills, and more damage to our economy. We must stop ignoring the damage these regulations caused our energy sector, our economy and our way of life in West Virginia. This step by the administration recognizes that the Clean Power Plan went beyond the bounds of EPA’s authority. Instead of working against us and imposing self-inflicted economic wounds like the last administration, I encourage the new administration to work with us to promote the advanced clean energy technology of the future that we can develop right here in West Virginia.”
From the office of US Senator Shelly Moore Capito:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today joined President Donald Trump at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C. for the signing of the president’s Energy IndependenceExecutive Order, which effectively kills President Obama’s harmful Clean Power Plan. Senator Capito issued the following statement applauding the ExecutiveOrder:
“Today, President Trump kept his promise to roll back one of the most harmful acts of overreach by the Obama administration – the so-called Clean Power Plan. If fully implemented, the Clean Power Plan would have completely decimated West Virginia’s vital coal industry while having no meaningful climate impact. Stopping this disastrous plan will preserve America’s coal industry, expand our manufacturing renaissance that is reliant upon affordable energy, and protect American families from unprecedented hikes in their electric bills. I was honored to join the president for the signing of thisExecutive Order, and I look forward to continuing working with the Trump administration to advance environmentally responsible policies that grow the economy – not kill jobs.”
In the 114th Congress, Senator Capito led the effort in the Senate to overturn Clean Power Plan regulations for existing power sources. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a resolution that addressed regulations for new coal-fired power sources. Both measures passed the Senate and were vetoed by President Obama.
The Energy Independence Executive Order builds upon a growing list of actions by President Trump and congressional Republicans to block misguided pieces of President Obama’s regulatory agenda.
The United States Senate has passed 10 resolutions of disapproval this year overturning Obama-era rulemakings. Senator Capito was at the White House last month when the president signed into law a Congressional Review Act resolution that she helped introduce in the Senate, which overturned President Obama’s final anti-coal regulation known as the Stream Protection Rule.
President Trump also signed an executive order that began the process of reversing President Obama’s misguided waters of the United States rule.
From the Office of U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s executive order rolling back a rule killing coal-fired power plants:
“I’m proud to stand with President Trump in declaring an end to the Obama administration’s war on coal, a war that cost West Virginia thousands of jobs and threatened our very way of life. After eight years of radical environmental policies from the White House, we now have a president focused on bringing coal jobs back. This executive order is good news for West Virginia, for West Virginia’s coal miners, and for West Virginia’s economy, and I’ll continue to work with President Trump on solutions that will move West Virginia forward,” Rep. Jenkins said.
Rep. Jenkins joined a number of his colleagues in filing an amicus brief in support of West Virginia’s court case against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its existing coal-fired power plant regulation. Please click here to read the brief.
He has also voted repeatedly to stop implementation of the Obama-era coal-fired power plant regulations, including helping to pass a congressional resolution of disapproval of the rule. He supported passage of the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would ensure states would not be forced to implement a state or federal plan if it would significantly hurt consumers or the reliability of the state’s electrical system.
Through his work on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Jenkins secured policy riders in spending bills that would prohibit funding for the job-killing power plan. Finally, the congressman has introduced legislation, the Transparency and Honesty in Energy Regulations Act, which would prohibit the EPA and the Energy Department from using the social cost of carbon and social cost of methane as rationales for their costly and burdensome regulations.
Release from the Office of Attorney General Patrick Morrisey:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey expressed appreciation for President Donald Trump’s invitation to attend Tuesday’s signing of an executive order undoing the so-called Clean Power Plan.
Attorney General Morrisey helped lead a coalition of 27 states and state agencies in challenging the regulation and winning a stay to block its enforcement. He provided this expanded statement after attending the White House ceremony.
“It was an honor to stand alongside President Trump on this victorious day that means so much to those who call West Virginia home.
“My office has led the fight on all counts because this is something that matters to every West Virginian. We spent numerous hours drafting arguments, rulemaking comments and legal briefs which ultimately stopped the Obama-era order from taking effect.
“These efforts yielded a nationwide stay in February 2016, a crucial victory that built a bridge to President Trump’s action, ensuring the hard work of coal miners will not be subjected to federal overreach that would have devastated miners, their families and entire communities.
“This is the shot in the arm coal needs to encourage people to place their bets on West Virginia again. My office will continue to do everything in our power to protect the Mountain State from unchecked federal overreach.”