WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced their efforts to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from enforcing a new rule tightening fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standards, which would further halt the growth of America’s manufacturing industry. Cassidy, McConnell, along with 45 Senate Republicans, introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to prevent the EPA from implementing this new mandate. A CRA resolution is a tool used by Congress to eliminate onerous regulations imposed by the executive branch through an expedited procedure for consideration in the Senate.
“The U.S. has made major strides in improving air quality while growing and powering our economy,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The Biden administration’s final rule ignores this progress and incentivizes manufacturing to move their jobs to China away from Louisiana. The resolution steps in to fix this new red tape that kills American jobs.”
“The Biden Administration rolled out yet another job-killing mandate that would impose more unilateral economic pain at home. This one goes well beyond the regulatory standards of most European allies, let alone our top strategic competitor, China. The EPA’s new standard is so strict that upon its effect, 30 percent of U.S. counties, including many in my home state of Kentucky, would immediately find themselves out of compliance, grounding manufacturing growth to a halt. In order to keep up with President Biden’s new mandate, American manufacturers would be forced to import raw materials, like concrete and steel, for virtually any construction project. The kind of projects that grow our economy and supply good-paying jobs,” said Senator McConnell. “Today, I’m introducing a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that would prevent the EPA from plowing ahead with this senseless regulatory overkill. Senate Republicans will continue to stand with American workers and job creators – especially when the Biden Administration tries to make their work harder.”
The Biden Administration’s EPA is tightening PM2.5 emissions for the first time in a decade, despite its own data reporting that concentrations have fallen by over 40 percent since 2000. Additionally, the vast majority of PM2.5 emissions come from sources like wildfires and dust from agriculture and roads that are not easily contained and – in some cases – impossible to control.
Cassidy and McConnell are joined by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tedd Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rand Paul (R-KY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN) in cosponsoring the CRA.
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