Click here or the image above to watch Senator Capito’s floor remarks.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tonight, the Senate voted on an amendment filed by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, to the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spending bill that would strike a provision that provides the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) $45 million to use eight different sections of the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases. The amendment failed 50-50.

Ahead of the vote, Ranking Member Capito spoke on the Senate floor to urge her colleagues to support the amendment. Click here to watch the speech in its entirety.

“After EPA’s recent loss before the Supreme Court on the illegal Clean Power Plan, we should not be providing funds to the agency that it will inevitably use to undertake more expansive and unauthorized rulemakings. This $45 million would be used to impose billions of dollars in regulatory burdens on our economy, and increase costs at the worst time for consumers. This provision is bad for West Virginia and it is bad for America,” Ranking Member Capito said in her speech.

Below is the floor speech of Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), as prepared for delivery:

“Mister/Madame President —

“This amendment would strike a provision that gives EPA $45 million in a slush fund to use eight different sections of the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases.

“The EPA will undoubtedly try to use this money to develop rules targeting electricity generation, manufacturing, agriculture, and other sectors of the economy.

“This will be the first time that Congress has told EPA to carry out many of those Clean Air Act sections with respect to greenhouse gases.  

“There is no doubt that EPA lawyers and environmental groups will point to this language when they try to convince courts to uphold future overreaching climate regulations.

“After EPA’s recent loss before the Supreme Court on the illegal Clean Power Plan, we should not be providing funds to the agency that it will inevitably use to undertake more expansive and unauthorized rulemakings.

“This $45 million would be used to impose billions of dollars in regulatory burdens on our economy, and increase costs at the worst time for consumers.

“This provision is bad for West Virginia and it is bad for America.

“I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

“Thank you and I yield back.”

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