Senator Lankford Applauds President’s Executive Order on Energy Independence

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded President Trump’s Energy Independence Executive Order. This Executive Order repeals several Obama-era environmental rules and removes some of the most economically damaging energy regulations from the last eight-years, including the Clean Power Plan. 

“Since 2015, I have stated that regulations like the Clean Power Plan assume power for the president that has never been given in law,” said Lankford. “The EPA or the Department of Energy never had the authority to regulate power generation. Regulations like the Clean Power Plan were about pushing a political agenda, not protecting the environment and maintaining affordable and reliable energy resources. We all want clean air and clean water, but we can achieve those goals without restricting small businesses or raising prices on families.

“I’m glad President Trump continues to take steps to roll back the Obama-era regulations that raise energy cost and are harmful to job creation around the US. This Executive Order continues to restore the power back to three equal branches of government.”

Lankford has long advocated for an easier, more transparent process for the public to engage in the federal rulemaking process. Lankford also included the elimination of funding for the Clean Power Plan in his 2015 Federal Fumbles government waste report (page 79 of 2015 report). In 2016, Lankford introduced a bill that prohibits the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from considering the social cost of carbon, methane, nitrous oxide, or any other greenhouse gases when imposing regulations. 

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