Members Of Congress Argue That Under Clean Air Act, EPA Has Authority To Take Action To Protect Nation’s Air

44 Current & Former Senators & 164 Current & Former House Members from 38 States Filed An Amicus Brief To Support President Obama’s Clean Power Plan in Case Currently Before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, & Defend EPA’s Authority To Protect Public Health and the Environment by Regulating New Pollutants In Keeping With The Intention Of The Clean Air Act Of 1970 

While Congressional Republicans Seek to Undermine the Significant Progress Made to Address Climate Change, A Bipartisan Group of Current and Former Senators and House Members Argue In Amicus Brief That Clean Power Plan Is A Pragmatic Solution To Address The Largest Source Of Carbon Pollution In America

Congressional Dems: Clean Power Plan Is an Historic, Legal & Vital Step in Protecting the Future for Our Children’s Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a bipartisan group of 44 current and former Senators and 164 current and former House members – including a former Republican Senator and former Republican House Member – from 38 states as well as the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands have joined in filing an amicus brief in support of the Obama administration’s historic ‘Clean Power Plan’ (CPP). The CPP will reduce carbon pollution and address climate change, save consumers $155 billion by 2030, create jobs, and prevent 90,000 childhood asthma attacks through 2030‎. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is considering a challenge to the rule in West Virginia et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency. The full text of the amicus brief filed today can be found here and a full list of the 208 current and former members of Congress that signed can be found below.                                                                                           

The amicus brief, filed by Congressional Democrats today, argues that the Clean Power Plan rule is consistent with the text, structure, and legislative history of the Clean Air Act (CAA).  Further, it argues that the rule is consistent with the goal of the CAA to “protect the Nation’s air resources so as to promote the public health and welfare and the productive capacity of its population.” Indeed, according to the brief, the Supreme Court has already affirmed that the EPA has clear authority to combat carbon pollution and regulate greenhouse gasses under Massachusetts v. EPA and American Electric Power v. Connecticut. 

While Congressional Republicans continue to refuse to acknowledge the existence of climate change and do the bidding of special interests who seek to stop action on climate change, a bipartisan group of current and former members of Congress as well as a broad coalition that includes legal experts, environmental groups, states and cities, and businesses including energy companies recognize the necessity and legality of the CPP, which will protect public health, and grow the clean energy economy of the future. A failure to act on climate change will also lead to more frequent extreme weather – from more severe droughts and wildfires in the west, to rising sea levels and more powerful hurricanes along our coastlines.

Full list of the 208 current and former member of Congress that signed the amicus brief filed today:

Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono, (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Harry Reid (D-NV), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The bipartisan group of former Senators that signed the brief include: Senators George J. Mitchell (D-ME), Carl Levin (D-MI), David Durenberger (R-MN), Joseph I. Lieberman (I-CT), Timothy E. Wirth (D-CO), Thomas A. Daschle (D-SD), J. Robert Kerrey (D-NE) and Tom Harkin (D-IA).

Representatives Alma S. Adams (D-NC), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Karen Bass (D-CA), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-VA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Robert A. Brady (D-PA), Corrine Brown (D-FL), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Cheri Bustos (D-IL), G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), Lois Capps (D-CA), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), John C. Carney, Jr. (D-DE), André Carson (D-IN), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Katherine M. Clark (D-MA), Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), James E. Clyburn (D-SC), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Susan A. Davis (D-CA), Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR), Diana L. DeGette (D-CO), John K. Delaney (D-MD), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Theodore E. Deutch (D-FL), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Michael F. Doyle (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Donna F. Edwards (D-MD), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Elizabeth H. Esty (D-CT), Sam Farr (D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Bill Foster (D-IL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Garamendi (D-CA), Alan Grayson (D-FL), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL), Janice Hahn (D-CA), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Denny Heck (D-WA), Brian Higgins (D-NY), Jim Himes (D-CT), Michael M. Honda (D-CA), Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), William R. Keating (D-MA), Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Joseph P. Kennedy, III (D-MA), Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), James R. Langevin (D-RI), John B. Larson (D-CT), Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), John Lewis (D-GA), Ted W. Lieu (D-CA), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Dave Loebsack (D-IA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Nita M. Lowey (D-NY), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Patrick E. Murphy (D-PA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), Scott H. Peters (D-CA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Jared Polis (D-CO), David Price (D-NC), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Kathleen M. Rice (D-NY), Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-MP), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), John P. Sarbanes (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), José E. Serrano (D-NY), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY), Adam Smith (D-WA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Mark Takai (D-HI), Mark Takano (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

The bipartisan group of former House members that signed the brief include: Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Thomas Downey (D-NY), Bill Hughes (D-NJ), George Miller (D-CA), Jim Moran (D-VA), Milton “Bob” Carr (D-MI) and Henry A. Waxman (D-CA).

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