A senior Democratic appropriator is leading a group of members on her side of the aisle in urging the Biden administration to delay issuing a final rule meant to dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions at the nation’s power plants.
The letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, organized by House Energy-Water Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), serves as a potent reminder of the political challenges the administration faces in trying to take aggressive action to confront the climate crisis without alienating key allies in an election year.
“EPA’s proposed rules have the potential to raise electricity rates, impact goodpaying jobs, and increase reliability risks for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities,” write Kaptur and vulnerable incumbent Democrat Reps. Mary Peltola of Alaska and Jared Golden of Maine, alongside Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas.
“Simply put,” they wrote, “rural and low-income households and households of color are disproportionately impacted by higher energy costs.”
