McConnell Amendment to Fight War on Coal Passes Senate

Press Release

The United States Senate tonight approved (57-43) a bipartisan amendment by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that would prohibit the withholding of federal highway funds from states that refuse to submit a plan to implement a proposed new EPA regulation. The McConnell amendment to the Senate's budget resolution would protect states and ensure no highway funds were withheld because of the new demands from the EPA. Federal highway funding has been withheld in the past and used as leverage to force states to comply with mandates from the federal government.

Under the proposed EPA regulation, states are required to submit State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to dramatically restructure their electricity systems based on EPA's view on how electricity should be produced and used in each state. Due to the drastic changes required by EPA and because of concerns regarding EPA's legal authority to enforce this plan, many states have filed suit against the agency to block these regulations. These states, including Kentucky, believe that complying with EPA regulations will wreak havoc on their states' labor forces and economies. In addition to Kentucky, the states include: Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

"Many states, including my home state of Kentucky, have already filed suit against the proposal on the premise that it is not constitutional, and belief that the agency does not have the legal authority to require states to comply with all of its criteria," Senator McConnell said. "I appreciate my colleagues for supporting my measure and expressing the belief that highway funds should not be held hostage in the War on Coal. Governors should not fear losing their critical highway funding nor should they be forced to submit plans that would devastate their own economy."

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