Dear Friend,

House policymakers advanced a bill this week that seeks to protect American jobs and promote U.S. coal production.

The “Stop the War on Coal Act” combines five House proposals that peel back exhausting Interior Department and EPA regulations that are slowly destroying domestic coal production. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio, this legislation specifically prohibits the Obama administration from issuing new rules that negatively impact mining jobs and the availability of coal for domestic consumption.

The White House’s regulations include rules forcing coal-fired electricity generating plants to cease operations, such as Alpha Natural Resources and OhioAmerican Energy. Not only are these rules negatively impacting current production, they are threatening the future reliability of America’s electric grid.

As a cosponsor of this plan, I believe that Congress must limit the authority granted to federal agencies that currently allow public employees to place heavy-handed standards on private energy producers. Sound federal policy must balance necessary energy growth with healthy government oversight.

God bless,

Gregg Harper

Member of Congress