Thursday, the U.S. House
of Representatives passed H.R. 5538, the Department of the Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2017. The Interiors
Appropriations Act included my amendment to bar “sue and settle” arrangements
that occur in lawsuits under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the
Endangered Species Act.
“Sue and Settle”
arrangements occur when activist groups collude with regulatory agencies, such
as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to sue the federal agency forcing
it to regulate. The federal agency then gives up the case and agrees to the
demands of the activist group by writing the desired regulation. As a condition
of the settlement, the federal agency would agree to pay the activist group’s
legal fees. A monetary settlement with these activists groups results in the
funding for more litigation against the federal agency. I believe that taxpayer
dollars should not be used to pay for legal fees or damages under the Clean Air
Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, and my amendment to
the Interior Appropriations Act bans it.
The EPA is a prime
example of both executive overreach, and an unaccountable federal agency that
is irresponsible and wasteful with taxpayer dollars. The "sue and
settle" scheme rewards environmental radicals with taxpayers’ dollars and
expands the EPA’s powers to the detriment of America’s energy producers.
Farmers, coal producers, and electric companies are already suffering under the
Obama Administration and EPA’s regulations from the Clean Air Act and Clean
Water Act – Congress needs to be looking for ways to reduce the burden, not
fund it.
My amendment
specifically prohibits taxpayer dollars from paying off environmental activist
groups’ legal fees and adding more regulation to our energy industry that’s
already struggling under burdensome government regulation. It’s a power grab
and a complete scam, and hard-working Americans shouldn’t foot the bill for
more manipulation by activists groups. Protecting our state’s energy producers
means keeping costs low and jobs steady for Georgia. I will continue to fight
to rein in the EPA’s power and make sure taxpayer dollars aren’t supporting
special interest activism.
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