The Obama Administration's Energy Overreach

Last week, President Obama announced a controversial new rule requiring a federally-mandated 32% cut in power-plant carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, while requiring the U.S. to achieve 28% of our total electricity from renewable sources by 2030. This rule is far stricter than previously expected and puts radical environmental groups ahead of hardworking individuals and families across America. The Obama Administration’s latest regulatory overreach will increase energy prices, cost jobs, and coerce states into burdensome new compliance. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this new rule will cost a whopping $8.4 billion per year. At a time when our economy is experiencing the weakest recovery in over 70 years, we should be freezing regulations, not expanding Washington’s reach into our local economy in Texas.

Recently, and with my support, the House passed H.R. 2042, the Ratepayer Protection Act of 2015. This common sense bill would delay the rule’s compliance date to allow time for further judicial and administrative review. This bill would also free state governors from complying with this federal rule if state officials determine the rule would harm ratepayers and the state’s electricity system. President Obama could not push his misguided cap and trade scheme through Congress back in 2009, even with Democrats in control at the time, so he is now attempting to bypass Congress and unconstitutionally regulate our nation’s power structure through Executive action. I will continue to fight the Obama Administration’s regulatory overreach and ensure our Texas energy sector has the freedom to continue to provide good-paying jobs and affordable domestic energy.