BISMARCK, ND – Today, the US House passed H.R.3409. The Stop the War on Coal Act is a vitally important piece of legislation for stopping the Obama administration’s relentless attacks on the coal industry.
Coal produces an afforadable, reliable source of energy for much of the country. North Dakota produces over 30 million tons of lignite coal every year and is the 6th leading electricity exporting state in the country. At the same time, our state meets all EPA prescribed ambient air quality standards.
Unfortunately, in 2008 Barack Obama promised to bankrupt any new coal-fired plants, and since taking office in 2009, his administration has introduced a barrage of regulations aimed at driving the coal industry out of business. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has estimated that four major EPA regulations alone will cost between $16-$21 billion over the next few years, 12-18% of the country’s coal-fired capacity, resulting in higher consumer costs and thousands of jobs lost.
The Stop the War on Coal Act counters the Democrats’ ideological war on fossil fuels. It stops the EPA’s cap-and-tax agenda, safeguards against attempts to re-write the 2008 Stream Buffer Zone Rule, keeps American jobs and protects our national energy development and security.
In Congress, you can count on me to stand firmly in favor of responsibly developing all our natural resources, including coal and all fossil fuels.
