Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says he would repeal every rule President Barack Obama has coming down the pipeline, including Environmental Protection Agency regulations on power plants and U.S. waterways.
“I think we need to repeal every rule that Barack Obama has in terms of work in progress,” Bush said during the Republican presidential debates Tuesday night, specifically mentioning the EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) and Waters of the U.S. rules.
The EPA’s Clean Power Plan is the centerpiece of Obama’s global warming agenda. The CPP limits carbon dioxide emissions from new and existing power plants and is a key part of Obama’s pledge to the United Nations that the U.S. would cut emissions by 26-28 percent by 2025.
The CPP was cheered by environmentalists, but derided by dozens of states and Republicans who argue it will cost Americans billions while having no impact on global warming. A recent report commissioned by the coal industry found the CPP would cost the economy $371 billion by 2033.
A coalition of 26 states have sued the Obama administration over the rule, arguing it would be costly and usurp states’ rights. This includes Bush’s state of Florida, which could see huge spikes in electricity prices from EPA rules.
“We should repeal the rules because the economic costs… exceed the benefits,” Bush said.
Bush also mentioned EPA unilaterally changing the definition of “Waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. Dozens of states have sued the EPA over this rule as well and were successful in getting federal courts to block the rule’s implementation.
The Senate recently passed a bipartisan resolution opposing the rule. Opponents argue the EPA rule amounts to an agency “power grab” over U.S. waterways.
“Despite their assurances, it appears that EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have failed to keep their promises to Congress and the American people,” said Oklahoma Republican Sen. [crscore]Jim Inhofe[/crscore]. “In fact, instead of fixing the overreach in the proposed rule, remarkably, EPA has made it even broader.”
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