Washington, D.C. – Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith today joined over 200 colleagues in both the House and Senate to file an amicus brief supporting petitions filed by 27 states seeking to overturn the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.
Chairman Smith: “The EPA’s energy regulations would shut down power plants, raise Americans’ energy bills and have no significant impact on global warming. The Supreme Court earlier this month confirmed that this regulation overreaches EPA's legal authority. Despite legal setbacks, the Obama administration has continued to push its unpopular and extreme climate agenda on the American people. The Clean Power Plan has been appropriately halted by the Supreme Court and should now be blocked from enactment once and for all.”
An amicus brief is filed by those not party to a particular case in order to provide information to the court that directly affects the case at hand. On Feb. 9 the Supreme Court halted enactment of the regulation, saying that it would shut down power plants and negatively impact local communities. Today’s amicus brief urges the court to go a step further to block the rule from enactment. Chairman Smith joined the brief with 34 Senators and 171 House Members in the case of State of West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al.