Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) voted for the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 2042), which delays the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s deadline for mandatory carbon dioxide (CO2) “goals” for each state’s electricity system, pending a judicial review of the proposed regulation. 

“This new regulation is a continuation of this Administration’s ‘war on coal,’ aimed at destroying America’s coal industry – including right here in Southern Illinois,” said Rep. Bost. “Congress needs to stand up and prevent the EPA from this massive overreach which will kill U.S. jobs and impose hundreds of billions of dollars in new costs on residential and commercial consumers.”

“EPA administrator Gina McCarthy has already concluded that adoption of the rule will have a ‘negligible’ impact on CO2 levels for the next decade,” added Bost.  “Imposing standards on coal plants that even the EPA admits can’t be achieved is unfair and will hurt our economy.  It will needlessly lead to thousands of lost jobs because manufacturers in Illinois won’t be able to remain competitive due to higher energy costs.  I believe in a balance between environmental protection and affordable energy.  The EPA’s so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ achieves neither.”