White House To Release $34 Billion In New Regulations After Mid-Terms

In 2012, the Obama administration was heavily criticized for delaying major regulations until after the presidential election. A new report by regulatory watchdogs found that the White House may once again be delaying major regulations that are expected to cost a total of $34 billion.

The American Action Forum (AAF) reports that the White house is set to release 15 major regulations, totaling $32 billion in costs, until after the midterm elections. A significant amount of these regulatory costs come from energy and environment regulations emanating from the Environmental Protection Agency, according to AAF.

The most extensive regulation set to be released after the elections is the EPA’s ground-level ozone standard. The regulation does not currently have a price tag associated with it, but when the rule was previously vetoed by the White House in 2011 its cost was put at $90 billion.

The EPA is also expected to finalize its rule limiting carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants by January. This rule would ban the construction of new coal-fired power plants unless they use carbon capture technology. The coal industry and Republicans argue this rule would force the shutdown of more coal plants and coal mines.

“Many of these regulations are controversial, including the GHG [greenhouse gas] rule, and have spent years in the courts and the rulemaking process,” said AAF’s regulatory policy director Sam Batkins, the report’s author. “Regardless of possible motive, if this schedule remains in place, there will be no shortage of major regulations issued immediately after Election Day.”

Another major rule set to hit Americans after the election is the Department of Energy’s new conservation standards for incandescent lamps, which is projected to cost $13 billion over the long term. The rule is expected to cost $863 million per year and raise consumer prices by 40 to 70 percent, according to AAF.



Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/24/r...ew-regulations-after-mid-terms/#ixzz38PAXOg5a