WASHINGTON, D.C. – Score one for the fossil fuel industry after President Donald Trump and Appalachia senators struck down a last-minute anti-coal industry regulation left behind by the Obama administration.
Thursday, President Donald J. Trump signed House Joint Resolution 38 to stop the costly Stream Protection Rule from further harming coal workers and the communities that depend on them. H.J.Res. 38 blocks an overly burdensome regulation that threatened the coal industry with millions of dollars in compliance costs, reduced coal production, and fewer jobs.
Since 2009, the coal industry has declined, leaving workers and communities without a lifeline. Over 36,000 jobs have been lost without any relief in sight. From 2009 to 2015, American coal production has declined by over 177,000,000 tons, and over 600 coal mines have closed. H.J.Res. 38 will give coal country relief from these harmful regulations created under the Obama Administration.
During the campaign, President Trump promised coal workers he would support them and reverse the harmful actions of the past administration. Since taking office, President Trump has been steadfast in his commitment to reducing the regulatory burden on all Americans, their pocketbooks, and their businesses. President Trump has required that for every new Federal regulation, two existing regulations be eliminated.
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky – a strong supporter of the coal industry – was joined by GOP Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and 28 of their colleagues in filing the resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in the Senate. The companion resolution, which was first passed by the House, passed the Senate with bipartisan support on February 2, 2017.
Senator McConnell said, “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 threatened coal jobs and caused major damage to communities. The legislation the President signed today will stop this disastrous rule and bring relief to coal miners and their families. I am grateful for President Trump’s support, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to protect coal families and communities.”
Providing relief from this regulation — and the many others that have targeted coal workers – has long been a top priority for Senator McConnell and one of the goals he outlined in a letter to President Trump earlier this year.
