Graves: President Trump's EPA is undoing harm caused by President Obama

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

In 2008, then Presidential candidate Obama declared war on coal, stating that his regulations would "bankrupt the coal industry." As President, he did exactly as promised.

Excessive, burdensome regulations came pouring out of the Environmental Protection Agency and when it came to coal-fired power plants, the final blow was called the "Clean Power Plan."

The "Clean Power Plan" was implemented by President Obama in 2015 requiring coal-fired power plants to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The benchmarks were so drastic that it would have shut many coal burning power plants down, drastically increasing rates, and hampering our economy for years to come.

While some coastal elites felt it was noble to enact more stringent regulations on power generators, the reality was that the "Clean Power Plan" placed the crushing weight of regulation squarely on the backs of those who use electricity - you and I.

Because of this, I and many of my colleagues in Congress came together to pass a bill disapproving of the "Clean Power Plan." Not surprisingly, President Obama vetoed it.

Thankfully, implementation of the Clean Power Plan was halted by the Supreme Court in 2016 and has been on hold since that time.

Earlier this year, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt paid a visit to Missouri's Thomas Hill Energy Center, a low sulfur coal-fired power plant that is responsible for providing energy for many of our electric co-ops in North Missouri. That particular plant has already been doing its part to reduce emissions. While there, Pruitt declared on behalf of the Trump Administration that "the war on coal is over!"

Yesterday, after significant review, Administrator Pruitt made good on that promise by announcing that President Trump's EPA is proposing to repeal the "Clean Power Plan" rule.

This is yet another step in undoing the harm done during the last Administration and ensuring we have a thriving economy moving forward.

As a farmer, and representative of a largely agricultural district, I understand that we must be good stewards of the land. However, we cannot stand for politicians who overstep their authority by regulating industries vital to rural Missouri out of existence.