Sen. Portman Statement on Senate’s Unwillingness To Roll Back Job-Killing Utility MACT Rules

Release:

Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate’s unwillingness to roll back the EPA’s Job-Killing Utility MACT standard for impacting Ohio’s power plants:

“The EPA doesn’t seem to understand the impact of its regulation on grid reliability and economic growth. Sadly, we can now say the same thing about the U.S. Senate. This regulation will cause Ohio power plants to shut down and could cause thousands of Ohioans to lose their jobs, and millions more see a big increase in their electricity rates. To get the economy moving again, Washington needs to rein in government overreach and regulations that are creating uncertainty and stifling innovation.”

In September 2012, Sen. Portman introduced the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 to significantly reform the federal regulatory process and reduce unnecessary burdens on job creators. Under this bill, the new Utility MACT rule would not have been possible without a more rigorous analysis of its costs, benefits and impact on jobs. The bipartisan bill passed the House by a vote of 253-167.