E&E Legal’s Steve Milloy, Senior Policy Fellow, and Craig Richardson, President, issued the following statements regarding President Trump’s signing of today’s energy independence and climate change policy executive order:

Steve Milloy:

President Trump did Americans a great service today by issuing his executive order on the Clean Power Plan (CPP). By putting the brakes on the CPP, President Trump is keeping his promise to rein in the outlaw, junk science-fueled and job-killing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

American air and water were cleaned up more than 25 years ago. Since then, the EPA has sought to unlawfully expand its jurisdiction and control over the American economy causing great harm for no improvement in public health or the environment.

This executive order offers the opportunity for us to have an open and honest discussion on energy and the environment, one that can focus on the facts and real scientific data. Open and honest debate is one of the founding principles of our nation. The notion that those who disagree with the Obama administration’s energy policies need to be shut-up and shut down is contrary to the core of who we are as Americans. We can’t have scare tactics and bad science determine government policy nor can we let it decide winners and losers in the economy. Americans deserve an open, honest and factual debate on these issues.

By signing this executive order, President Trump has put the EPA’s focus where it needs to be and offers us the opportunity to have a transparent discussion on the issues.

Craig Richardson:

This executive order rolls back one of the most economically damaging policies of the Obama Administration, the Clean Power Plan (CPP), and it is another sign that President Trump intends to keep his promises to those hardest hit by President Obama’s energy and environmental policies.

The CPP was not about making our air and water cleaner. It was a gift intended to benefit “green energy” special interests, like billionaire Tom Steyer, at the expense of American workers and taxpayers. While Steyer and other Obama supporters were lining their pockets through government loans and subsidies, approximately 83,000 coal miners lost their jobs during the Obama administration. These jobs losses hurt the families and communities that depend on them. By rolling back the CPP, the Trump administration is giving miners, oil workers, their families and communities a fighting chance against the billionaires who want to destroy them.

Through this action, President Trump is also keeping his promise to offer relief to minorities, the poor and seniors by helping them stay out of “green energy poverty.” While becoming wealthy at taxpayer expense “green energy” billionaires are driving up utility costs for to those who can least afford it. This executive order will provide these individuals and families the help and hope they so desperately need.

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