But clearly, there are two roles you have. You have a role to comply with the law, you also have a role to advocate as to what the law should be.

I take great pleasure in signing the legislation as demonstration to the American people of my determination that each and every American shall breathe clean air.

Would the NAS report have happened without the hold?

First of all, a lot of us contend that the EPA doesn't really need the Air Toxics rule to regulate utility emissions.

The statistics on 2010 alone, preventing 160,000 cases of premature mortality, reducing heart attacks by more than 100,000.

In other words, clean air for us means good jobs.

We need to level the playing field for all of us.

I will always remember the first thing I said after the 2010 elections, when it came in, I said, I just want you to know I am going to be just as nice to you 2 years from now as you are to me.

Just last week, in response to EPA's rules, American Electric Power (AEP) announced they would be forced to close nearly 6,000 Megawatts of low cost (coal) power generation.

There is a lot of room for a lot of empirical data to say that is not the case.

it could have just the opposite effect. Because as we lose our jobs... it could have an increased effect.

we are in a battle, an economic battle with the rest of the world. Competition is a lot tougher than it was when some of us were born.

I hope they will see this as a win-win as they, yes, their consumers have to breathe clean air as well as pay their electric bills.

the only thing they could do was talk about how bad President Obama is, not offering any solutions that are positive.

My problem with that is, that is one rule at a time. I am talking about the cumulative effect.