Bennet Statement on Trump Administration Effort to Gut the Clean Power Plan

Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s roll back of the Clean Power Plan. The rule will delay the timeline for states to write their implementation plans.

“President Trump claims he is ending the war on coal. In reality, his plan creates more uncertainty for coal miners. This is not a plan—it’s a punt,” Bennet said. The President is placing the views of extreme partisans and special interests above the overwhelming judgment of scientists. Meanwhile, our children will continue to get sick, more wildfires will rage throughout the West, and more storms will damage our coasts. President Trump should embrace a lasting policy that makes the air cleaner for our children, addresses climate change, and provides real certainty for businesses.

“In the absence of leadership from Washington, Colorado will continue to reduce our emissions, grow our clean energy economy, and fulfill our obligation to safeguard the environment for the next generation,” Bennet said.

In October 2017, Bennet issued a statement opposing then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s decision to revisit the Clean Power Plan. That same month, he sent a letter to the EPA along with 18 Senate colleagues asking Pruitt to provide scientific and mathematical data to justify revisiting the Plan. That March, Bennet led more than 30 Senate colleagues to introduce legislation to rescind President Trump’s Executive Order reversing several U.S. initiatives to combat climate change, including the Clean Power Plan. Earlier that month, Bennet issued a statement on the President’s Executive Order and spoke about it on the Senate floor.

In August 2017, Bennet introduced the Coal Community Empowerment Act to spur investment, workforce training, economic growth, and job creation in rural coal communities in Colorado and across the United States.