Statement of Administration Policy: S.J. Res. 27 - Disapproving EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule

(Senate)

(Sen. Paul, R-KY, and 2 cosponsors)

The Administration strongly opposes S.J.Res. 27, which would overturn a core Clean Air Act (CAA) rule that limits pollution that travels long distances and contributes to soot and smog in downwind States. By blocking this rule, S.J. Res 27 would cause substantial harm to public health and undermine our Nation's longstanding commitment to clean up pollution from power plants.

Since it was enacted in 1970 and amended in 1977 and 1990, each time with strong bipartisan support, the CAA has improved the Nation's air quality and protected public health. Over that same period of time, the economy has grown over 200 percent while emissions of key pollutants have decreased more than 60 percent. Forty years of clean air regulation has shown that a strong economy and strong environmental and public health protection go hand-in-hand.

S.J. Res. 27 would undermine this progress by blocking the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which would reduce harmful air pollution from power plants that threatens the health of downwind communities, especially the health of children, seniors, and other vulnerable populations. The CSAPR responds to a 2008 court decision directing EPA to replace the prior Administration's rule with a new rule to address the transport of air pollution across State boundaries. Each year, this rule would avoid tens of thousands of premature deaths, prevent more than ten thousand heart attacks and hospital visits for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and alleviate hundreds of thousands of childhood asthma attacks and other respiratory illnesses. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that this flexible, commonsense rule will yield hundreds of billions of dollars in net benefits each year. S.J.Res. 27 would overturn this rule, jeopardize these public health and economic benefits, and perpetuate uncertainty for businesses, freezing investments in clean technologies.

If the President is presented with S.J.Res. 27, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the resolution.