Coalition of over 40 organizations supports the End EPA Abuse Act

Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute sent a coalition letter to Congress in support of legislation that would put a stop to the most egregious overreach by the EPA under the Clean Air Act. For example, the bill prohibits rules that would help kill off gas-powered cars or shift the country from reliable sources of electricity, like coal and natural gas, to unreliable sources of electricity.

The letter, signed by over 40 conservative and free market organizations, supports the “End EPA Abuse Act” (S. 4931 and H.R. 9453 ) already introduced in the Senate and House by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), respectively.

Key points:

• The bill puts guardrails on the EPA’s use of the Clean Air Act, curtailing the worst abuses of power that Congress never would have authorized.
• The bill does not prevent the EPA from aggressively protecting the environment, but it does prevent the agency from issuing rules that usurp congressional power.
• In recent years, the agency has restricted individual freedom and consumer choice in ways that many never could have imagined. The agency is using its environmental mission to radically change the economy, industries, and how Americans live their lives.
• The problems can’t be solved by any administration alone, nor can lawmakers simply assume the judicial branch will always step in to prevent the abuses.
• The bill is needed because the only way to have a durable solution to prevent these abuses from occurring in the first place is for Congress to pass legislation to amend the Clean Air Act.

“In recent years, the EPA has sought to expand its CAA authority to levels that defy common sense and the will of Congress,” the letter explains.

“Unless Congress does something, the EPA will continue to push well beyond the boundaries of its CAA authority and take its chances in court. The Supreme Court did strike down the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, but expecting the judicial branch to stop all the abuses is unwise and ignores the lawmaking role that Congress has under the U.S. Constitution.”

View the letter on cei.org