API Praises Congressional Action to Rein in EPA
Jack Gerard
Posted April 6, 2011
Editor's Note: API President and CEO Jack Gerard applauded members of Congress who today voted to preserve American jobs by blocking EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. Gerard noted that while no single amendment won enough votes to pass in the Senate, "more than 60 Senators - an overwhelming majority - voted in one way or another to keep the EPA from moving forward." Gerard also called on President Obama to work with this bipartisan group to come to an agreement:
"Today is another step toward victory for American consumers who can't afford EPA's unnecessary regulations that could raise the cost of the energy and destroy jobs. Today's votes show that a growing bipartisan coalition recognizes that Congress, not unelected agency officials, should be setting the energy and economic policy of the United States.
"President Obama needs to work with this coalition and come to an agreement on efforts to block these regulations and help businesses create the jobs Americans need. The president himself has called for the elimination of federal regulations that are overly burdensome on businesses trying to create jobs, and the EPA's greenhouse gas regulations should be at the top of that list.
"Congress has rightfully taken steps to restore the intended purpose of the Clean Air Act by protecting aspects of the law that improve air quality while stopping the EPA from overreaching its authority."
About The Author
Jack N. Gerard is president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. He also has served as the president and CEO of trade associations representing the chemical and mining industries. Jack understands how Washington works. He spent several years working in the U.S. Senate and House, and co-founded a Washington-based government relations consulting firm. A native of Idaho, Jack also is very active in the Boy Scouts of America, a university graduate program on politics, and his church’s leadership. He and his wife are the proud parents of eight children, including twin boys adopted from Guatemala.