Joe Donnelly: “I am here today with my colleague from Missouri, Senator Blunt, to talk about our efforts to bring some common sense to…”

“I am here today with my colleague from Missouri, Senator Blunt, to talk about our efforts to bring some common sense to the EPA's emission standards. It is my firm belief that we can establish emission standards that protect our environment without hurting our economy and without hurting the pocketbooks of families in Indiana and across the country. When the EPA released draft standards in 2012 that would regulate greenhouse gas emissions from powerplants, it was clear that the administration's standards far exceeded the level of carbon reductions that would be available using existing technology. They also failed to acknowledge that different fuel types pose different challenges when trying to reduce emissions. If we don't address these standards in a commonsense way, the affordable, reliable energy that Hoosier families and businesses depend on will be in doubt. It is absolutely critical that the EPA understand the impact of these standards and the price their proposed regulation would ask Hoosiers to pay. Our amendment urges the EPA to use common sense when putting together emission regulations by ensuring that efforts to regulate carbon dioxide emissions are realistic about existing technology and do not negatively impact our economy.…”