WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today issued the following statement after Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced the Trump administration plans to withdraw the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan on Tuesday, October 10:
“For years, the Obama administration waged a war on coal and issued heavy-handed regulations to pick winners and losers among energy industries. In West Virginia, our coal miners, their families and entire communities felt the blow of that misguided approach to energy production. It’s refreshing to see how committed the Trump administration is to pursuing a true all-of-the-above energy policy, and Administrator Pruitt’s announcement is another sign that America’s energy strategy is headed in the right direction.
“Our country can be a real global leader when it comes to energy production, but we can’t shutter entire industries that have helped power this country for decades. We should responsibly embrace all forms of energy production, do what we can to improve them and continue to explore new and innovative energy options. I appreciate the Trump administration’s commitment to creating and preserving good energy jobs and expanding America’s energy potential, and I look forward to continuing to work together to achieve these important goals.”
BACKGROUND: Regulations in the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan would prevent construction of new coal plants and require most existing plants to close in the coming years. In 2015, Senator Capito introduced a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (S.J. Res. 24) to block the plan. While the Senate and the House of Representative passed Senator Capito’s resolution, President Obama vetoed it.
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