WASHINGTON—The free market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today commended the series of bipartisan efforts in Congress to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Most recently, U.S. Representatives Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) introduced H.R. 4572, which will block the agency from regulating greenhouse gases based on their effect on climate change.

“Clean Air Act regulations are the worst possible action the federal government could take to reduce the country’s carbon emissions, but only Congress can stop the EPA at this point,” said Americans for Prosperity Vice President for Policy Phil Kerpen. “Chairman Peterson should be lauded for his move to block the EPA, and AFP hopes he will reach out to other agriculture state Democrats so they too understand the devastating impact these regulations would have.”

Other congressional efforts to block EPA include: U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) introduced a disapproval resolution to stop the regulations. U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) was the first to introduce legislation prohibiting EPA from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Blackburn’s bill has 151 cosponsors and she has collected 122 signatures on a discharge petition. U.S. Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) also penned a bill with a similar effect.

“The momentum is building against the EPA’s efforts to wreck havoc on our economy,” Kerpen concluded. “Congressional action is the only thing that can stop this runaway agency, and it’s good to see numerous legislators are getting the message.”