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Utah currently receives approximately 95 percent of its electricity from coal-fired power plants, and plans are in place to build more.  I stand alongside Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma in opposition to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule (also commonly called the Utility MACT rule) devised by the Environmental Protection Agency.

This unnecessary and expensive regulation will cost the electric power sector approximately $100 billion, more than all other EPA air rules combined.  The National Economic Research Associates found that the MATS rule would kill as many as 215,000 jobs by 2015. Thus far, 169 coal-fuel electric generating units located across 21 states have had to be prematurely retired due to the threats posed by MATS and other EPA regulations.  Over 27,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity will be retired within the next three years, raising concerns about electric reliability at the local level. 

EPA figures show that more than 99.99 percent of quantified health benefits attributed to the MATS rule are due to reductions in fine particles, not reductions in mercury emissions. The EPA already regulates fine particles under other parts of the Clean Air Act.  Additionally, coal-fueled power plants have already reduced mercury emissions by 60 percent without the MATS rule.

Excessive regulation of the power sector forces coal plants to shut down prematurely which will significantly raise energy prices for Americans. MATS and other EPA regulations increase operation costs for plants, drive up prices for consumers, and kill thousands of jobs. That’s why we need regulation reform, such as the REINS Act, to ensure that all major regulations that significantly affect our economy go through the proper legislative channels before they are made official policy. 

Until then, I firmly support S. J. Res. 37, and stand with a growing bipartisan group of Senators, private sector unions, and business interests who believe we can do better than imposing these kinds of regulations on the American people.

Today’s Agenda

Today, Senator Lee is meeting with constituents. He will also vote on the nomination of Mary Lewis Geiger for US District Judge for South Carolina.

From the Senator’s Desk

On Twitter

Want to #EndFossilFuelSubsidies? I co-sponsored the Energy Freedom and Prosperity Act that ends all energy subsidies: ow.ly/bzPQR

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) June 18, 2012

The average tax filer in UT will see $3464 tax hike if Obama and the Dems don't join w/ GOP to stop #Taxmagedden bit.ly/KXh2UT

— Brian Phillips (@SenLeeComs) June 18, 2012

PIC: @SenMikeLee brought the crowd to their feet at the Faith and Freedom Conference. #FFC #utpol instagr.am/p/L6r0r7S5f8/

— Emily Bennion (@SenLeePressSec) June 16, 2012

@SenMikeLee on exercising caution with nominees to the #NinthCircuit Court of Appeals: bit.ly/Nwn6tk #judiciary #tcot #tlot

— Joe Tauke (@SenLeeResearch) June 12, 2012

Around the Water Cooler

 Relief from Greek election likely to be fleeting

Greece's election result has eased fears of an imminent financial disaster for Europe, but the region's indebted governments remain under heavy pressure. Spain and Italy are fighting to keep their borrowing costs down and European leaders are struggling to find agreement on how best to fix the shared currency's deeper problems.

Looming health care ruling will be among Supreme Court’s most important

Winners and losers are the natural consequence of the American legal system. In the Supreme Court, five majority votes among the nine members are enough to fundamentally change lives and legacies.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Treatment Communities of America. He will also attend a breakfast hosted by the Association of American Railroads.

This week, Attorney General Eric Holder was questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The main issue was Holder’s continued appearance to be hiding things from Congress, whether the problem is national security leaks or Operation Fast and Furious, the gun-walking campaign that sent thousands of guns to drug cartels and resulted in the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Holder has been uncooperative and has provided different sets of answers at every single stage of the investigation of the operation, and many members of Congress are now calling for his resignation.

Below are just a few of the videos about Holder’s testimony and answers to questioning that were uploaded this week:

And here are two articles about Holder from this week:

Senate Judiciary Committee Puts Holder’s Feet to Fire

Attorney General Eric Holder testified at a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon, discussing voter laws, the New York Times' national security leaks, and, of course, Operation Fast and Furious. It was more of the same, as Democrats came to Mr. Holder’s defense while the Republicans tried to pry out direct answers to withering questions.
 

Who had the worst week in Washington? Attorney General Eric Holder.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. spent the week in the Washington hot seat — and there’s little evidence that his perch is going to get cooler anytime soon.

Finally, below are some of the week’s best tweets about Holder:

ICYMI: @SenMikeLee questions AG Eric #Holder about "Constitutional conflicts" bit.ly/KBwbNe

— Emily Bennion (@SenLeePressSec) June 13, 2012

Issa: where are the documents? Holder: My dog ate them. Issa: Where's your dog? Holder: the president ate him.

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) June 12, 2012

Truer words have never been tweeted RT @NRA Mr. Attorney General, you are not a good witness" -Darrell Issa #fastandfurious #holder #tcot

— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) June 7, 2012

Maybe #Holder wants to rethink his "I stuck to my guns" defense.

— Mario Lepore II (@lepore27) June 15, 2012

DeMint calls out #Holder - ‘When our justice system is in question, everything is in question’ dailycaller.com/2012/06/14/dem… #fastandfurious #tcot

— Phil Berger, Jr. (@deaconDA) June 15, 2012

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee responded to reports that Senate Republicans would begin enforcing the “Leahy-Thurmond Rule,” an historic practice in presidential years when the Senate stops confirming certain judicial nominees. 

“I am pleased that the Republican caucus has decided to enforce the Leahy-Thurmond rule and cease confirming appeals court nominees until after the presidential election,” said Lee, a member of the Judiciary Committee.  “It is particularly important that we do so now in light of the unconstitutional ‘recess’ appointments President Obama made earlier this year.  The President must be held accountable for his unprecedented and illegitimate assertion that he may unilaterally determine when the Senate is in session.  I join Leader McConnell, Senator Grassley, and others in opposing President Obama’s abuse of power and curtailing additional appellate confirmations between now and the election.”