House GOP to prioritize coal, methane rules for repeal
By Timothy Cama, The Hill.
House Republicans plan to make Obama administration rules on coal mining and methane emissions among the first regulations they work to repeal.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Wednesday said the GOP plans first to reform the way the executive branch writes regulations, and then to go after specific ones, with the coal and methane rules prioritized.
“While we haven’t yet determined what needs to be repealed first, I expect to start with swift action on at least on the Stream Protection Rule and methane emissions standards, both of which are limits to our energy production,” McCarthy said in a speech on the House floor.
“This process won’t be completed quickly, but as we remove harmful regulations and change the structure of Washington, draining the bureaucratic swamp that undermines the will of the people, we can rebuild trust between the people and their government again,” he continued, borrowing from the “drain the swamp” message that President-elect Donald Trump has used to frame his actions against lobbyists.
The Stream Protection Rule from the Interior Department puts new limits and standards on how coal mining companies, both through mountaintop removal and other means, protects and restores streams.