East Idaho Times

U.S. Senators Mike Crapo, Jim Risch (both R-Idaho), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) have introduced a formal challenge to the Biden Administration’s regulations aimed at shutting down American power plants. The challenge takes the form of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval and is supported by 41 Senate colleagues.

The resolution follows the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) issuance of final rules that impose stringent emissions requirements on existing coal-fired power plants and newly constructed gas-fired power plants. These regulations are seen as an attempt to close power plants that supply America’s baseload electricity, a move previously attempted under President Obama but overturned by the Supreme Court in West Virginia v. EPA.

“The Biden Administration continues to promote its radical green agenda at the expense of American families and communities, this time through a harmful rule that seeks to shut down our nation’s critical baseload power sources," said Crapo. "This CRA pushes back on this overreaching rule, which is the result of this Administration’s continued attempts to kowtow to climate activists without any consideration of practicability and cost.”

Senator Risch added, “The President’s ‘Clean Power Plan 2.0’ completely disregards growing energy demand, feasibility, and cost. We must embrace an all-of-the-above energy strategy and build reliable, baseload energy sources—not hamstring the ones we already have.”

Capito emphasized the importance of the resolution: “With this Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval, every member of Congress will have the opportunity to protect America’s energy future, heed the warnings of our nation’s electric grid operators, and adhere to the precedent set by the Supreme Court. This vote is an important one because the Biden administration’s Clean Power Plan 2.0 makes it clear it will stand with climate activists, regardless of the harm that is sure to be done to families, workers, and communities across West Virginia and the rest of the country. I appreciate so many of my Senate and House colleagues for joining this bipartisan effort to reject another unrealistic, overreaching regulation, and I look forward to the vote.”

Among those supporting the CRA resolution are U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (I-West Virginia), Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), John Thune (R-South Dakota), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Marco Rubio(R-Florida ), Eric Schmitt(R-Missouri ), Rick Scott(R-Florida ), Tim Scott(R-South Carolina ), Dan Sullivan(R-Alaska ), Thom Tillis(R-North Carolina ), Tommy Tuberville(R-Alabama ), J.D.Vance(R-Ohio ) , Roger Wicker(R-Mississippi ) , Todd Young(R-Indiana ).

Numerous groups also support the CRA resolution including: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association(NRECA ), U.S.Chamber of Commerce , National Mining Association(NMA ), National Association of Manufacturers(NAM ), America 's Power , American Chemistry Council(ACC ), Industrial Energy Consumers of America(IECA ), American Petroleum Institute(API ), American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers(AFPM ), American Iron & Steel Institute(AISI ) , American Forest & Paper Association(AF&PA ) , Western Energy Alliance , American Coal Council , Energy Policy Network , Reliable Energy Inc., Women 's Mining Coalition , Rocky Mountain Mining Institute , American Electric Power(AEP ) , Buckeye Power , Duke Energy , PBF Energy , Competitive Enterprise Institute(CEI ) Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions(CRES ) Institute for Energy Research Power The Future Heritage Action Conservative Political Action Coalition Americans For Prosperity American Energy Institute American Consumer Institute Americans For Tax Reform ALEC Action Taxpayers Protection Alliance Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council .