Southern Illinois Democrat Embracing Obama’s War on Coal
Bill Enyart came out today in The Southern claiming to be against the new EPA regulations on carbon emissions from the Obama Administration. What’s ironic about this latest stance from Enyart is that it’s the complete opposite of his anti-coal voting record in Congress.
Even just last week Enyart continued his anti-energy record by voting against prohibiting the Obama Administration from conducting its anti-fossil fuel agenda.
This isn’t the first time Enyart has voted against American energy:
- Enyart voted against blocking the Obama Administration’s rewrite of coal regulations. (Roll Call #141, 3/25/14)
- Enyart voted against a measure/budget that calls for scaling back regulations that are harming the coal industry. (Roll Call #177, 4/10/14)
- Enyart voted for an amendment that would give President Obama full authority and control over approving construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. (Roll Call #173, 3/22/13)
- Enyart voted against protecting Americans from expensive new EPA regulations that threaten to drive up energy costs for consumers and families and destroy jobs. (Roll Call #432, 8/1/13)
- Enyart voted against preventing the federal government from regulating hydraulic fracturing in states that already have their own fracking regulations. (Roll Call #604, 11/20/13)
- Enyart voted against increasing domestic oil and gas production on federal lands and thereby boosting economic growth while reducing U.S. dependence on energy imports. (Roll Call #600, 11/20/13)
Bill Enyart’s anti-coal, anti-energy record directly impacts Southern Illinois families who rely on good paying energy jobs and low energy prices from Illinois coal.
Southern Illinois families shouldn’t trust this latest political talking point from the freshman congressman because his voting record shows that he’s in lockstep with the Pelosi-Obama anti-energy agenda.
NRCC Comment: “Bill Enyart continues to put Barack Obama’s radical anti-energy agenda ahead of the needs of Southern Illinois families. While Enyart might have learned how to talk out of both sides of his mouth in Washington, the families of the 12th District know they can’t trust his political rhetoric because his anti-Illinois energy voting record proves he isn’t fighting for them in Congress.” – Katie Prill, NRCC Spokeswoman
Enyart opposes new emission rules
The Southern Illinoisan
By Nick Mariano
June 2, 2014
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/enyart-opposes-new-emission-rules/article_e063e12e-a1df-5290-b845-18d0586e7cc1.html
U.S. Congressman Bill Enyart called President Barack Obama’s executive order to reduce carbon emissions from power plants an attack on coal that will lead to energy price spikes and loss of jobs.
“In recent years, our Southern Illinois coal industry has slowly rebounded through persistence and determination,” Enyart, D-Belleville, said. “The regulations announced today will halt that rebound and cause more uncertainty in coal mines and power plants in our region and beyond.
“Our local economies and most importantly our families simply cannot withstand the loss of good paying jobs in the region,” said Enyart, co-chair of the Coal Caucus.
The new rule to be released today would allow states to require power plants to make changes such as switching from coal to natural gas or enact other programs to reduce demand for electricity and produce more energy from renewable sources, according to an Associated Press report.
States also can set up pollution-trading markets as 10 other states already have done to offer more flexibility in how plants cut emissions. Plans from states won’t be due until 2016, but the rule will become final a year before.
Enyart, while maintaining a need to strive for a safer environment, said the rules are “impractical and unnecessary” as work is already underway to improve carbon emissions while also sustaining a reliable energy source.
He believes the rule will result in a 30 percent carbon dioxide emission cut in an industry that generates 40 percent of electricity with coal. Replacing what Enyart said is an abundant supply of coal with other energy sources would lead to a volatile market resulting in price hikes.
He said more focus should be placed on improving clean coal technology and lower its costs.
“As we do this, coal will become even more environmentally friendly. I’ve spoken to coal operators and industry leaders, and it’s clear to me that the standards would make it virtually impossible to produce stable, reliable energy,” Enyart said.