Today, the Supreme Court issued a decision to limit actions by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and how the nation’s main anti-air pollution law, The Clean Air Act, can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
By a 6-3 vote, with conservatives in the majority, the court said that the Clean Air Act does not give the EPA broad authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming.
Rep. Gary Palmer applauded the decision, arguing that the EPA is abusing its authority.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision to rein in the EPA in regard to the agency’s overreach in regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act is a long-overdue recognition by the Court that there are limits to the EPA’s authority to legislate through regulation,” Palmer stated.
Palmer introduced legislation in 2017 to limit EPA overreach.
“Former Rep. John Dingell, the Democrat who helped write the Clean Air Act, stated the EPA was outside of its authority by imposing new rules on greenhouse gas coming from power plants during the Obama Administration. This ruling is consistent with my Stopping EPA Overreach Act I introduced in 2017, which would make it clear the EPA does not have the authority to regulate greenhouse gases and that would reassert the responsibility of Congress to make law.”
Palmer concluded, “American families are struggling with inflationary regulatory costs imposed by unelected bureaucrats at the EPA and other federal agencies. Americans didn’t elect the bureaucrats at the EPA to issue inflationary regulations that destroy jobs, increase energy prices and drive up the cost of living. I am grateful for the Supreme Court’s decision reining in the EPA’s overreach.”
President Joe Biden called the ruling “another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards.” He said he would “not relent in using my lawful authorities to protect public health and tackle the climate crisis.”
