Lamborn, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, is a leader in congressional efforts to increase domestic energy production. H.R. 3409, the Stop the War on Coal Act is a package of bills to protect thousands of American jobs and U.S. energy production that are being threatened by Obama Administration regulations.  

Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) speaking on the House Floor in support of Stop the War on Coal Act.

To view video, click here.

Text of remarks, as prepared for delivery:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker – the bill we are considering today is very simple – it’s a bill that protects one of the nation’s most abundant energy sources -- COAL and ensures some of the highest paid family wage jobs in the country are saved.

I want to focus on Title One of HR 3409 that limits the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to issue new burdensome regulations under the SMCRA until the end of 2013. This title will put a short timeout on the recklessly rushed rulemaking by the Administration that has resulted in millions of wasted dollars and confusion by all parties regarding the current management of coal by Office of Surface Mining.   

This rulemaking has been an unmitigated disaster with the Administration attempting to compress what would ordinarily take 36 months into 15 months.

When news got out of how many jobs would be lost under these proposed rules, the Administration fired the  independent contractor who provided that analysis.

The Administration’s own analysis is that 7,000 direct mining jobs would be lost and an additional 29,000 people would fall below the poverty level in the Appalachian basin alone. The proposed rules would have a negative economic impact in 22 states.

How in the world can a President who gives lip service to creating jobs allow his bureaucrats to kill jobs in coal states?

This bill is simply a“time out" so that OSM can hear and address the concerns raised by the cooperating agencies, coal mining states and tribes, and citizens.  It will allow them to develop the new rule in a process that allows states time to read the hundreds of pages of materials in months rather than DAYS.

The current rulemaking by OSM is an out-of-control process with no regard for the impacts or views of the mine workers and the families who depend on these jobs. I urge my colleagues to support the Resolution and the Johnson bill.

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