Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-09) issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 3409, the Stop the War on Coal Act. This legislation protects American jobs and supports U.S. energy production by prohibiting the Secretary of the Interior from issuing new rules and regulations that will adversely impact mining jobs and our economy. It’s a necessary safeguard in response to the Obama Administration’s effort to rewrite coal mining regulations which will result in a loss of jobs and a decrease in domestic energy production. The bill also stops the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using the Clean Air Act to impose costly greenhouse gas regulations on the economy, stops the EPA’s cap-and-tax agenda, and requires an honest accounting of the full cost of the EPA’s rules so we can better understand how they affect the American economy.

“The all-out war by the Obama Administration on the coal industry needs to stop now. Why the Obama Administration would deliberately try to destroy the production of an abundant domestic energy source and drive up energy prices for Americans at this time of economic distress defies all logic. President Obama’s policies are forcing coal companies to lay off workers and shutter plants. Instead of encouraging economic growth and expanding America’s domestic energy supply, President Obama appears intent on achieving the opposite result.”