[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 18 (Thursday, February 2, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT RESOLUTIONS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this Republican-led Congress is 
committed to fulfilling our promises to the American people. That work 
continues now as we consider legislation to push back against the 
harmful regulations from the Obama administration. On its way out the 
door, the Obama administration forced nearly 40--40--major and very 
costly regulations on the American people. Fortunately, we now have the 
opportunity to work with a new President to begin bringing relief from 
those burdensome regulations.
  Last night, the House sent us two resolutions under the Congressional 
Review Act--one of the best tools at our disposal to undo these 
heavyhanded regulations.
  This afternoon, the Senate will have the opportunity to pass the 
first of these resolutions, a measure to overturn the stream buffer 
rule. The resolution before us now is identical to the one I introduced 
earlier this week, and it aims to put a stop to the former 
administration's blatant attack on coal miners. In my home State of 
Kentucky and others across the Nation, the stream buffer rule will 
cause major damage to communities and threaten coal jobs. One study 
actually estimated that this regulation would put as many as one-third 
of coal-related jobs at risk. That is why the Kentucky Coal Association 
called it ``a regulation in search of a problem.'' They joined with the 
United Mine Workers of American and the attorneys general of 14 States 
on both sides of the aisle urging Congress to act. We should heed their 
call now and begin bringing relief to coal country. Today's vote on 
this resolution represents a good step in that direction.
  Once our work is complete on this legislation, we will turn to 
another House-passed resolution that will protect American companies 
from being at a disadvantage when doing business overseas. Although the 
Securities and Exchange Commission may have had good intentions, the 
resource extraction rule costs American public companies up to nearly 
$600 million annually and gives foreign-owned businesses in Russia and 
China an advantage over American workers. We all want to increase 
transparency, but we should not raise costs on American businesses, 
only to benefit their international competition. Let's send the SEC 
back to the drawing board to promote transparency without the high 
costs or negative impacts on American businesses.
  These CRA resolutions keep the interests of American families and 
workers in mind. Today, we will continue to chip away at the regulation 
legacy of the Obama years, with more CRA resolutions in the coming days 
as well.
  Let's pass these two resolutions without delay so we can send them to 
the President's desk and continue giving the power back to the people.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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