{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=abbb060a-5bd5-4766-904a-0af584784b8f", "Fischer, Heitkamp Statements on EPA Extending Public Comment Period on New Rule", "2014-09-16", "2014", "2014-09", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Fischer and Heitkamp Led a Majority of the Senate in Calling on the EPA to Provide Time to Review Broad Proposal\u00a0 \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) today issued the following statements after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) heeded their request to extend the public comment period on the agency\u2019s proposed rule to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants.\r\nThe extension period comes on the heels of\u00a0Fischer and Heitkamp\u2019s effort to lead 53 Senators last week\u00a0in a bipartisan call for the EPA to provide additional time to allow all stakeholders to fully review and offer comments on its new proposal.\u00a0Noting the incredibly broad and complex nature of the agency\u2019s new rule, Fischer, Heitkamp, and the\u00a0other Senators argued that more time was necessary to fully assess issues and coordinate meaningful responses.\u00a0The Senators released the following statements:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cNebraska\u2019s public power utilities are very grateful for the extra time to consider and comment on EPA\u2019s proposal,\u201d\u00a0said Fischer. \u201cNebraskans would be disproportionately impacted by the rule, and it is extremely important that these effects are well analyzed and that the concerns of stakeholders can be communicated and considered.\u201d\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cIt's good for all sides that the EPA listened to the bipartisan group of Senators that Senator Fischer and I led by providing more time to review these complex new rules so states, utilities and others potentially impacted by them can comment on them,\"\u00a0said Heitkamp. \"We need real, workable solutions for implementing rules that reduce emissions, but do not hinder job growth or the reliability of our electrical system and that recognize the important role of coal-fired power in our generating mix for the foreseeable future. To accomplish that, everyone impacted by the rules should be able to have a say, and this extension helps allow that to happen.\"\r\n\r\nIn May, Fischer and Heitkamp led 47 Senators in in requesting that the agency grant at least 120 days for public comment on its new proposal on existing power plants. When the 120-day public comment period was granted, the Senators heard immediately from a variety of entities in their states, including utilities, state regulators, regional generation and transmission organizations, and many more.\u00a0 These entities made it known that the rule is more difficult to analyze and assess than they had initially expected. In addition, some of the issues posed by the new rule require discussions and collaboration with a variety of state, regional, and national officials provide accurate and complete comments on the feasibility of the rule and options.\r\nClick here to read a full copy of the letter Fischer and Heitkamp sent to McCarthy in May, which was signed by 47 Senators. \r\nClick here to read a full copy of the letter Fischer and Heitkamp sent to McCarthy last week, which was signed by 53 Senators.", 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": ["http://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=abbb060a-5bd5-4766-904a-0af584784b8f"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9840740822255611, "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"}