Washington, D.C. - Today, the Environmental Protection Agency released a proposed rule to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants. This regulation is a follow up to last year's proposed regulations on new power plants and part of the administration's greater "War on Coal." Coal is responsible for nearly 40% of America's electricity generation. The regulations proposed today will have a devastating impact on the economy, energy prices, grid reliability, and jobs. Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a report revealing that the regulations will cost the economy $50 billion a year in GDP between now and 2030 and will result in the loss of 224,000 jobs a year over the same timeframe.

Congressional Western Caucus Co-Chairs Steve Pearce (NM-02) and Cynthia Lummis (WY-At Large) along with Western Caucus Chairman Emeritus Rob Bishop (UT-01) and Western Caucus members Paul Gosar (AZ-04), Kristi Noem (SD-At Large), and Kevin Cramer (ND-At Large) released the following statements in response to the announcement:

"The regulations put in place today by the President will raise the cost of the average American's electric bill, just like he promised in 2008," said Chairman Pearce. "By mandating these regulations, the President is caving to radical special interest groups who do not have the best interests of the American people in mind. The proposed regulations will cost the economy billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of good paying American jobs, but at best have a marginal impact on worldwide carbon emissions. The President and the EPA are using these regulations to force states into using cap and trade systems that could not even pass in the Senate with a filibuster-proof Democratic majority. The administration's radical war on coal is nothing more than a war on the poor."

"Americans are facing steepening costs of living thanks to stifling federal regulations," said Chairwoman Lummis R-WY. "And what is the EPA's response? More burdensome regulation where it hits the hardest—what Americans pay when they flip on the light switch. These latest rules designed to kill coal production will drive up the costs of electricity, jeopardize the reliability of the power grid, and kill jobs in Wyoming and nationwide. America is sitting on abundant energy resources with the know-how to affordably and reliably power every home and grow our economy to boot, yet this Administration has been bent from day one on throwing up costly, job-killing barriers to American prosperity."

"It's an election year so I'm not entirely surprised by Obama's latest efforts to kowtow to the special interest groups that have been putting pressure on him to impose punitive new mandates that will ultimately curb domestic energy production," said Chairman Bishop. "For the most part, these new policies will have a relatively light impact on President Obama and others with significant wealth. However, we know that today's decision will likely raise the prices of energy, which will have a devastating impact on the lives of most hard-working Americans who already struggle to afford their energy bills. Cap and Trade failed in Congress because the American people opposed it. Imposing new laws and regulations on the country whether the American people want them or not is not how the President of the United States ought to govern this nation. History tells us that this type of leadership typically leads to negative results, but as we have witnessed, President Obama appears to have little regard for the lessons learned of past failed leaders around the world."

"The Obama Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) unnatural fixation with destroying the coal industry, killing jobs and driving up energy prices for consumers continued today with the issuance of a new proposed regulation to implement stringent coal regulations based on an obscure interpretation of a rarely used section of the Clean Air Act," said Rep. Gosar. "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce projects the new EPA greenhouse gas rules will cost our economy an average $51 billion per year and kill at least 224,000 jobs in the next 15 years alone. Congress has repeatedly rejected previous cap-and-tax energy plans proposed by the president and his big-government allies. Knowing he can't lawfully enact a carbon-dioxide tax plan, Obama is unlawfully directing his EPA to impose strict limits by executive fiat in his pursuit to appease environmental extremists with his misguided climate action plan."

"Nearly one third of our electricity in South Dakota comes from coal," said Rep. Noem. "Coal-fired power plants make it more affordable to heat our homes during the winter, cool them during the summer, and run the fans in grain bins during harvest. If prices skyrocket, as even the President has admitted they will do under strict regulations, our way of life will change. This is a pocketbook issue for South Dakota; it's a pocketbook issue for our entire country."

"The EPA has reached a new level of irresponsibility in its reckless pursuit of an extreme environmental agenda which pushes the average energy consumer off to the wayside, said Rep. Cramer. "The high costs of these unprecedented regulations will be pushed onto the energy bills of citizens and businesses. It is astonishing how out of touch the Obama Administration is with the American people, many of whom can't afford to pay more than they already do for electricity."