Enzi: President to use EPA as weapon against coal, fossil fuels
Obama has broader agenda to end use of coal and other fossil fuels in the United States
by U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyoming, media release
June 25, 2013
Washington, D.C. – During a speech on climate change, President Obama today (Tuesday, June 25, 2013) announced plans to move forward on regulations for new and existing power plants. The president’s announcement is part of a broader agenda to end the use of coal and other fossil fuels in the United States, according to U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., who called the speech shortsighted and naïve. Enzi noted that the president’s plan won’t lower energy prices, generate jobs, or get our economy back on track. It amounts to a national energy tax that the country simply can’t afford.
"Today the president confirmed that his plans are not about providing cheap and affordable energy but about moving forward with an agenda that will force higher energy costs on American families," said Enzi. "When the price of energy goes up, it’s the consumer that pays. This means higher costs on basic necessities that most Americans rely on every day, like electricity, food, gasoline, clothing, heat, and air conditioning.
"The EPA under this Administration has a long history of pushing regulations that advance one of President Obama’s main policy objectives: putting coal out of business. This is just another example of a government agency being used as a political weapon and acting outside of the authority Congress originally intended.
"In Wyoming, energy and energy production are part of our heritage and our local communities. Mineral royalties help pay for our schools and help create scholarship opportunities for those attending college. The energy industry employs thousands across our state and the nation and helps drive our local economies. The president should open federal lands to "all of the above" energy production instead of picking winners and losers. The president doesn’t have to like coal, but trying to put it out of business isn’t practical or reasonable. We should be focused on developing technology that will not only provide us with abundant American energy, but can also help us do it in ways that benefit the environment."
Enzi also said that President Obama should visit Wyoming sometime to talk with energy workers out in the field. "He’ll leave with more insight into how his policies are affecting the country then he ever could back in Washington."
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