U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, cast a vote to annul a rule from the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The regulation in question prevents numerous significant industries from reclassifying as Area Sources, a move Capito argues hinders emission reduction efforts. A total of 52 senators approved the Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution against this rule, which was originally introduced by Senator John Curtis of Utah and co-sponsored by Capito.
Ahead of the vote, Capito spoke on the Senate floor, emphasizing the importance of reinstating the rule established during the Trump Administration. This rule aimed to motivate industries to cut emissions without imposing additional regulatory demands.
Capito expressed support for Senator Curtis’s resolution and highlighted her view on the impact of the Biden EPA’s ruling: “This misguided rule would remove a major incentive for dozens of industries to reduce emissions. It would further saddle American energy producers and manufactures with regulatory costs and burdens, and simply put, operates under a premise that is purely unfair.”
Capito argued that under the current rule, once a source is classified as a Major Source, it cannot requalify for Area Source status, even with a reduction in emissions. “This tells American manufacturing and energy leaders that no matter what you do, you will always operate under the strictest regulatory standard available,” she stated. She advocated instead for providing incentives for emissions reduction.
Capito asserted that for over two decades, the U.S. has led the world in emissions reduction. “Giving our private sector the ability to innovate in a sensible timeline is a different approach than the inflexible, top-down mandate that became accustom over the past four years,” she noted.
This senatorial vote was presented as an opportunity to revert to the regulations from the Trump era, which Capito believes effectively encouraged the reclassification of sources and reduced harmful air pollution. “We need to take every opportunity available to right size regulatory requirements prohibiting our ability to revitalize American manufacturing and achieve energy dominance.”
Capito concluded by encouraging her colleagues to support the resolution, reminding them of the mutual benefits of manufacturing, energy reliability, and environmental protection. “This is an opportunity to return to some common-sense environmental quality and policy.”
