{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mooney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-alex-x-mooney-wv-02-submits-statement-opposing-clean-power", "Congressman Alex X. Mooney (WV-02) Submits Statement Opposing Clean Power Plan", "2017-11-28", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "WV", "Alex Mooney", "M001195", "mooney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Alex X. Mooney (WV-02) Submits Statement Opposing Clean Power Plan \nCharleston, WV \u2013 Congressman Alex Mooney (WV-02) submitted the following testimony at the Environmental Protection Agency public hearing in Charleston regarding the Clean Power Plan:\n\u201cI am pleased to submit my testimony to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding my support for the agency\u2019s proposed repeal of the so-called Clean Power Plan rule. When the EPA finalized these rules in 2015, they did irreparable damage to West Virginia\u2019s economy. Due to the pending plan, power plants that were once the economic driver of communities across our great state have been shuttered. Proposed plants that were to expand the energy infrastructure throughout the Appalachian Region never came to fruition.\nFor nearly three years, West Virginian workers have had a cloud of uncertainty hanging over their heads due to the pending implementation of the Obama Administration\u2019s Clean Power Plan.\u00a0 Fortunately, our government\u2019s system of checks and balances prevented the plan from reaching fruition.\nThe U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay on the enforcement of this proposed regulation in 2016 after 27 states (including West Virginia), 24 trade associations, 37 rural electric co-ops and three labor unions sued the EPA. \u00a0Their lawsuit emphasized a range of legal and technical concerns, while also demonstrating the regulation went further than the law allowed. This is yet again another Obama era overreach that put the American economy at a disadvantage and destroyed jobs.\nI want to take this opportunity to thank EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the EPA Regional Offices for conducting these public hearings.\u00a0 This is the proper procedure to review this regulation and, ultimately, to repeal it. I also want to thank President Trump for signing the Energy Independence Executive Order back in March, triggering the review of the Clean Power Plan and leading to this much-needed and transparent public hearing process.\u00a0 This is how government should operate and I commend the EPA for coming to my Congressional District to hear what West Virginians have to say about this crippling regulation.\n\u00a0Former President Obama's plan is flawed and the regulation has done harm to the American economy and to the American worker.\u00a0 It is time to rid our economy of this uncertainty and pursue an energy policy that is pro-worker, allows the United States to be a leader in energy production and unlocks American ingenuity.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mooney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-alex-x-mooney-wv-02-submits-statement-opposing-clean-power"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3370050583034754, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}