EPW Hearing Statement: Implications of the Supreme Court Stay of the Clean Power Plan

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the following regarding the committee’s hearing on the Supreme Court’s stay of the Clean Power Plan.

“Over the years, I’ve had a lot of different jobs – naval flight officer, governor and senator, just to name a few. But my most cherished job, and the one that is most important is being a father to my two sons.  As Father’s Day draws near, I’m reminded of the life lessons my father taught me, and the lessons I’ve tried to teach my sons.

“My father was a chief petty officer in the Navy during World War II, and was one tough cookie. He had high expectations for my sister and me, and he and didn’t hesitate about letting us know it on a regular basis. Fortunately, our mother was among the most patient and loving women that God put on this earth. Together, they made a good parenting team.

“Our parents worked hard to teach us right from wrong and how to figure out the right thing to do and do it, even if it’s not the easiest option.  They also taught us that a job worth doing is worth doing well, and always to use our common sense. These are life lessons that still guide my decision making today and what I try to teach my sons.

“These life lessons are also the lens that I look through when trying to tackle our nation’s most pressing challenges, of which climate change is one.  

“Scientists across the globe agree that we cannot wait any longer to address the effects of climate change. It certainly won’t always be easy, but doing so is the right thing to do for the generations who will live on this Earth after us. In order to do it the right way, the United States has to show leadership by reducing emissions from our largest sources of carbon pollution.  The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan does just that.

“The EPA’s Clean Power Plan serves as one of our nation’s cornerstone policies to address America’s source of emitters of carbon pollution – fossil fuel power plants. 

“Fortunately, the EPA did not rush to issue this rule. The agency took millions of comments from stakeholders all across the nation. In fact, the agency made significant changes to ensure that the Clean Power Plan provided as many flexibilities as possible to states and stakeholders, while still maintaining boundaries set by Congress in the Clean Air Act nearly 30 years ago.

“I believe the EPA did the job well, and put forth a common sense rule that will help protect our environment from climate change, without putting an undue burden on businesses that put Americans to work. It is my hope that the Supreme Court will agree with this assessment and that implementation of the Clean Power Plan will quickly move forward.

“I will close with some additional wisdom that I learned in the Navy: when you know you’re right, sure you’re right, just never give up. We know that climate change is real, so for our sons and daughters, for their children, and for their children’s children, we must never give up trying to stop its harmful effects.”