McKINLEY: GOVERNMENT OVERREACH HAS GONE TOO FAR

The following is an opinion editorial by Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV) for your consideration on two job-crushing Obama administration policies that the congressman is working towards reversing.

This country is in a recession and the Obama administration’s policies are continuing to drive business and job creators to other nations, leaving future generations with long term consequences.

The announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it’s revoking a four-year-old federal clean-water permit issued to Arch Coal’s Spruce No. 1 mine is appalling. As a former small businessman, I know companies will be less willing to begin new job-creation projects if they do not have confidence their negotiations with regulatory agencies were conducted in good faith. The EPA’s new policy could prevent hundreds of businesses from investing in West Virginia.

As awful as it is that the EPA’s decision will eliminate 250 planned West Virginia jobs, this is not just about one mine. It’s about the tens of thousands of other jobs that their new policy puts in serious jeopardy. The lack of compassion the EPA has for the workers who will be affected by this is shocking. Their decision – and others that could presumably follow – could devastate lives if Congress doesn’t do something. I will use my position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and work with other members of the state delegation to put a stop to the EPA’s War on Coal.

Another very important issue effecting West Virginia’s economy is health care. All Americans want and deserve health care coverage. But never before have Americans been forced to purchase a product as a price of citizenship. This law is unconstitutional and needs to be repealed and replaced for a host of other reasons, especially for its crippling impact on small businesses.

I voted to repeal the health care bill because it is the wrong approach at the wrong time, and it will cost jobs. I promised West Virginians I would make every effort to help the private sector get back to work and this bill is riddled with too many uncertainties for job providers.  Repealing this bill is an important step toward creating an environment that fosters job growth and ensures a better future for West Virginians.

While I do not agree with most aspects of this law, reform is necessary. There are a few positive things in this legislation that should be included in replacement legislation, such as allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance policy until the age of 26 and ensuring that those with pre-existing conditions receive the care they need. Also, our seniors must be protected and we should close the ‘donut hole’ in Medicare that was weighing heavily on their pocketbooks.

There are also many additional reforms needed in the replacement legislation: tort reform, allowing insurance to be sold across state lines, and allowing individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together to acquire health insurance at lower costs. We must stop hindering our American companies and start giving them the tools to succeed. These additions to new health care legislation would do just that.

This week was a major step forward in repealing a deeply flawed piece of legislation and replacing it with something that is bipartisan, lowers costs, saves jobs, and protects our senior citizens. We owe this to our seniors, job-creators and to all Americans.

###