Bill Johnson : Leads House Effort to Protect Coal Jobs by Overturning Ill-Advised “Stream Protection Rule”

Representative Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) released the following statement after he introduced H.J. Resolution 38, which would overturn the Office of Surface Mining's recently issued job-killing regulation, known as the so-called 'Stream Protection Rule' through the Congressional Review Act (CRA). A vote on this bill is expected this week.

Representative Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) released the following statement after he introduced H.J. Resolution 38, which would overturn the Office of Surface Mining's recently issued job-killing regulation, known as the so-called 'Stream Protection Rule' through the Congressional Review Act (CRA). A vote on this bill is expected this week.

This legislation simply asks Members of the U.S. House to protect America's coal industry, and vote for the repeal of the Interior Department's Stream Protection Rule, which is set to jeopardize thousands of coal and coal-related jobs, devastate coal producing communities, and put a majority of the country's coal reserves off limits. The rule in question was released during the waning days of the Obama administration, well after hardworking Americans sent a clear message to Washington, D.C. that more regulation is not the answer.

Make no mistake about it, this Obama Administration rule is not designed to protect streams. Instead, it was an effort to regulate the coal mining industry right out of business - by issuing duplicative and overly burdensome regulations, and preempting state agencies that have historically been tasked with regulating America's coal industry.

I am not going to stand by and let that happen. And, with the help of West Virginia Representatives Evan Jenkins and David McKinley, we introduced H.J. Res. 38 today, with 66 cosponsors.

If passed, H.J.Res. 38 and the new Congress will send a strong message: We will both protect America's coal jobs by stopping this rule from taking effect, and prevent the issuance of any similar rule in the future. Some 33,000 Ohioans are employed directly by the coal industry, and their hard work provides nearly 60% of our state's energy. Without coal in our energy portfolio, utility prices would skyrocket, and thousands of hardworking Ohioans would be in the unemployment line.

An identical resolution has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, with the help of West Virginia Senator Shelly Moore Capito. Once both chambers of Congress pass this resolution, it will go to President Trump's desk for his signature, killing off this onerous regulation once and for all.

Background: Congress, through the passage of a joint resolution known as the Congressional Review Act, and signed by the President, may overturn a regulation administered by a previous administration, within 60 legislative days of a new Congress.