roy blunt reply on climate change and xl pipeline

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garyro

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Sep 16, 2013, 4:27:00 PM9/16/13

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Thank you for contacting me regarding the Obama Administration's proposals on climate change.

More American energy means more American jobs. Unfortunately, the president continues to advocate policies that will lead to higher energy costs that will further stall economic development.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), coal provides more than 80 percent of Missouri's power, and our state has the 17th-lowest electricity prices in the nation. The president's plan would impose a huge tax hike on consumers, which would unfairly hit low-income Americans, who can't afford to spend more on their utility bills.

Even before the president's recent climate announcement, on May 20, 2013, I joined my Missouri House Republican colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama expressing our concerns regarding plans to establish unprecedented Greenhouse Gas (GHG) New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for power plants.

Overreaching regulations are not the answer. Our nation can continue to use coal while lowering emissions at the same time. Coal-based power generation projects are using state-of-the-art technologies and laying the foundation for advancements in power plant efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide levels. These advancements are allowing us to reduce emissions and produce low-cost electricity for homes, offices and factories.

The President also threatened not to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. The Keystone XL Pipeline would create an estimated 20,000 jobs. That's why I cosponsored bipartisan legislation – which was introduced by U.S. Senator John Hoeven (N.D.) and is cosponsored by 44 Senators – to authorize the construction and operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

I will continue to fight the president's efforts to tax energy production, which would result in job losses and higher energy bills – a recipe for a major economic blow at a time we can least afford it.

Agai n, thank you for contacting me. I look forward to continuing our conversation on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/SenatorBlunt ) and Twitter ( www.twitter.com/RoyBlunt ) about the important issues f acing Missouri and the country. I also encourage you to visit my website ( blunt.senate.gov ) to learn more about where I stand on the issues and sign-up for my e-newsletter .