WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) praised Senate passage of his measure to overturn the “stream buffer rule,” a so-called anti-coal regulation that President Obama filed just before leaving office.
Senator McConnell and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) filed the resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The House of Representatives passed it earlier today and the resolution now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.
“The Obama Administration’s Stream Buffer rule was an attack against coal miners and their families. In my home state of Kentucky, the Stream Buffer Rule would have caused major damage to communities and threaten coal jobs,” Senator McConnell said. “The legislation we passed today will help stop this disastrous rule and bring relief to coal miners and their families. I am heartened to know so many of my colleagues recognized the problems that face coal country, and I am glad that they joined with me to address them. Now with a friend of coal in the White House, the legislation will soon be signed into law. I am grateful for President Trump’s support and I look forward to working with him in the future to protect coal families and communities.”
Providing relief from this regulation — and the many others that have targeted coal communities — is just one priority Senator McConnell laid out in letter to President Trump earlier this year.
Today on the Senate floor, Senator McConnell delivered the following remarks regarding the CRA resolution:
“This Republican-led Congress is committed to fulfilling our promises to the American people. That work continues now as we consider legislation to push back against harmful regulations from the Obama Administration.
“On its way out the door, the Obama Administration forced nearly 40 major — and very costly — regulations on the American people. Fortunately, we now have the opportunity to work with the new president to begin bringing relief from these burdensome regulations.
“Last night, the House sent us two resolutions under the Congressional Review Act — one of the best tools at our disposal to undo these heavy-handed regulations.
“This afternoon the Senate will have the opportunity to pass the first of these resolutions — a measure to overturn the Stream Buffer Rule.
“The resolution before us now is identical to the one I introduced earlier this week, and it aims to put a stop to the former administration’s blatant attack on coal miners.
“In my home state of Kentucky and others across the nation, the Stream Buffer Rule will cause major damage to communities and threaten coal jobs.
“One study actually estimated that this regulation would put as many as one-third of coal-related jobs at risk.
“That’s why the Kentucky Coal Association called it ‘a regulation in search of a problem.’
“They joined with the United Mine Workers of American and Attorneys General of 14 states on both sides of the aisle urging Congress to act.
“We should heed their call now and begin bringing relief to coal country.
“Today’s vote on this resolution represents a good step in that direction.
“Once our work is complete on this legislation, we’ll turn to another House-passed resolution that will protect American companies from being at a disadvantage when doing business overseas.
“Although the Securities and Exchange Commission may have had good intentions, the Resource Extraction Rule costs American public companies up to nearly $600 million annually and gives foreign owned business in Russia and China an advantage over American workers.
“We all want to increase transparency, but we should not raise costs on American businesses only to benefit their international competition.
“Let’s send the SEC back to the drawing board to promote transparency without the high costs or negative impacts on American businesses.
“These CRA resolutions keep the interests of American families and workers at heart. Today, we’ll continue to chip away at the regulation legacy of the Obama Administration with more CRA resolutions in the coming days as well.
“Let’s pass these two resolutions without delay so we can send them to the President’s desk and continue giving the power back to the people.”
