Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today joined his colleagues in passing H.R. 2401, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation, or TRAIN, Act.  The bill passed the House of Representatives 249-169.

“Like many Idahoans, I am deeply concerned that the EPA has drastically expanded its regulatory authority,” said Simpson.  “By pumping out new regulations every week, the Obama Administration is using the EPA to force on the American people an extreme environmental agenda that is hurting our fragile economy.”

The TRAIN Act calls for a needed “time out” from some of the EPA’s most egregious regulatory proposals, including the Utility MACT and the new transport rule.  Recent reports claim that if the proposed Utility MACT went into effect, it would effectively shut down one-sixth of the country’s coal-fired power plants, dramatically increasing energy costs and moving our nation further away from energy independence.  The bill also requires an analysis of the cumulative impact that EPA’s proposals on job creation and global competitiveness.

“If we really want to turn around our debt crisis, we need to get our economy going again.  Unfortunately, the EPA is the wet blanket that is preventing companies small and large from investing in their businesses and creating jobs,” said Simpson.  “Regulations like the Utility MACT and the transport rule are creating vast uncertainty in the market, leaving employers unwilling to risk hiring new employees.  The TRAIN Act is about carefully weighing the costs and benefits of government regulation.  It is about creating certainty in the marketplace, and it is about assuring businesses that it is safe to start hiring people and getting our economy moving again.”

Simpson chairs the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the EPA.  Language similar to H.R. 2401 was included in H.R. 2584, the Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for FY12.