Press Releases

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement after voting in favor of the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 2042), which passed the House of Representatives in a vote of 247-180:

“I believe that this Administration’s so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ is not only expensive, burdensome, and unreasonable, but that based on the law and prior court opinions, the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the authority to enact it under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act.  Accordingly, the courts ought to weigh in on the plan’s legality before states implement it, and before those who pay an electric bill are required to spend a significant amount of money.  House passage of the Ratepayer Protection Act is an important step in seeing that states can retain control of their energy markets, and that ratepayers don’t have to pay for a frivolous regulation EPA knows or ought to know it does not have the authority to implement.”

Griffith joined Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) in introducing the Ratepayer Protection Act, which has earned the support of the United Mine Workers of America.  Among other things, the bill would allow for completion of judicial review of any final rule in the Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘Clean Power Plan’ before states are required to comply with its implementation if the state’s governor has determined it would significantly harm energy reliability or affordability.

Griffith spoke on the floor this afternoon in favor of the Ratepayer Protection Act.  Video may be seen here on his YouTube page.

###