Rep. Kelly Discusses President Obama’s War on Coal, IRS Scandal on Fox Business
Rep. Kelly: “Has the presidency ever been held in such low esteem than it is right now?”
WASHINGTON — Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) – a member of the House Ways and Means Committee – appeared on Varney & Co. on Fox Business Network earlier today to discuss his recently-introduced Coal Country Protection Act, as well as the latest developments regarding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scandal.
Rep. Kelly on President Obama’s visit to Pittsburgh today:
“While he’s there, I’d like him to apologize to all our coal people. He’s taking about the economy—there’s nobody who’s been worse for the economy and certainly nobody who’s been worse for coal than this president and this administration.”
“I would just wish that for the next two years he just keeps his hands off things. There’s been too much breaking down for six years. Just keep your hands off stuff—let us recover.”
On President Obama’s war on coal:
“I was in the Long Run Mine yesterday, Stewart, talking to some of our miners and talking about our Coal Country Protection Act. I just think it’s time for America to start pushing back on these things. These are not Republican issues, these are American issues. When we start killing coal, we start taking away from our economic recovery, when we start causing people to lose their jobs, electric rates to soar, the reliable delivery of electric to be interrupted, there’s something wrong.”
On the Coal Country Protection Act:
“This is a bipartisan issue, and it’s going to be bicameral also. What we’re saying is, ‘Hey, listen, just don’t touch anything for a while. Run the traps on [the new EPA rules] first: Major job loss? You can’t institute these rules. It’s going to hold back our GDP and our recovery? You’ve got to hold back on these rules. If it’s going to change our rates and let them skyrocket, and if it’s going to affect the lower-income people, don’t touch it. And if it comes down to the delivery of electric on a reliable basis, just stay away from it. We’ve got tests running on it, we’re just saying to the EPA, ‘Listen, just hold off til we run the traps. Let’s make sure we don’t have these famous unintended consequences that make it so tough for every American guy and gal.”
On the IRS’s lost Lois Lerner e-mails:
“The public needs to be outraged, and I mean outraged. … We can investigate, we can expose, [but] we don’t have prosecutorial powers.”
“The people still control this government. It’s the only place on earth, Stewart, where the people actually have a voice and can weigh in on it. It is time for the American public to wake up and say, ‘Enough is enough. We want answers from you people. We want them now.’ And let’s just push for all these answers and not let them squirm off the hook again.”
“This has been a horrible six years for all of us. ... I’ve got friends on both sides of the aisle that are saying, ‘Has the presidency ever been held in such low esteem than it is right now?’ This man has taken it to a new low. It’s time for the American people though—it’s our government, it’s our responsibility, it’s our time, and it’s not an option. We need to fight to get this back on track.”
NOTE: H.R. 4808 – the Coal Country Protection Act -- is a bipartisan bill, introduced by Rep. Kelly, to stop any new regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on America’s power plants until the following four outcomes are guaranteed: 1.) No job losses; 2.) No loss in GDP/economic growth; 3.) No higher electric rates; 4). No interruption in energy delivery. The Senate companion to this bill is being sponsored by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
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