Republicans target Obama rules on methane, coal
WA S H I N GTO N — H o u s e Republic ans on Wednesday kicked off their efforts to block or undo scores of regulations and executive orders issued by President Barack Obama.
On a near party-line vote, lawmakers approved legislation that would allow Congress to overturn, with a single vote, executive branch regulations finalized near the end of an outgoing president’s term.
The bill was approved, 238-184, and now goes to the Senate. Four Democrats joined 234 Republicans to support the bill.
Republicans said the bill would stem what they call a growing trend by presi- d e n t s o f b o t h p a r t i e s t o impose costly “midnight rules” during their last few months in office.
The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said it would st reng then executive-branch oversight and “ensure that unaccountable, last-minute regulations don’t continue crippling our economy, crushing small businesses and raising costs on middle-class families.”
The vote c ame as GOP leaders said their top regulatory targets will be Obama’s rules to reduce methane emissions and lessen the environmental impact of coal mining on nearby streams.
House Majorit y Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he expects swift action on the two environmental rules, arguing that they limit the nation’s energy production.
McCarthy said the process won’t be completed quickly, but likens the effort to “draining the bureaucratic swamp that undermines the will of the people.”
Obama has pushed for r u l e s t o p r o t e c t a i r a n d water as part of his focus on curbing global warming. He argues that the benefits of the regulations outweigh the cost. He has also said his administration’s use of regulatory authority is a reflection of the GOP’s unwillingness to work with him on legislative solutions.
I n d u s t r y g r o u p s h av e already filed suit to block O b a m a ’ s r e g u l a t i o n s designed to reduce methane emissions, and other major regulations are currently tied up in court.