WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following re-election, 1st District Congressman David McKinley (R-W.Va.) appeared invigorated in a continued fight against Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
His hopeful demeanor could be attributed to an election outcome that will send Donald Trump (R) to the White House. McKinley said voters expressed their pent-up frustrations at the polls.
“They just wanted change. They’re willing to take a risk and experiment to see if something could be better in their lives. We’ve seen wages frozen, jobs lost, and companies going overseas. It needed a shake-up.”
Meanwhile, McKinley told MetroNews “Talkline” host Hoppy Kercheval his post-election work has including time spent with the Congressional Coal Caucus.
The congressman said there could be immediate changes with EPA laws.
“You’re going to see a real rollback of some of those regulations that have occurred. We’ve already talked with the president’s transition team about that. Give the coal miners and the coal industry and the gas industry a chance to compete in this global economy.”
The Clean Power Plan was announced by the Obama Administration in 2015. The plan sets a national limit on carbon pollution from power plants.
According to McKinley, Trump could repeal the plan by executive order or such action could be initiated by Congress.
“If we pass the Congressional Review Act, which we’ll be able to and they can’t filibuster it in the Senate, then it goes to the president and at that point it is virtually withdrawn.”
McKinley claimed making states submit reduction emission plans by September 2018 prohibits coal and gas companies from entering a global market.
“India is going to double its consumption of coal and they are now consuming for more coal than we are in America totally. China is going to increase its consumption by 70 percent in the next ten years. There are markets overseas that we can reenlist these people back to work by exporting coal.”
McKinley is part of the all-Republican congressional delegation that will continue to represent West Virginia. He recalls a time as a state senator when there was a single Republicans in the state senate.
“A generation has passed before Republicans carried Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. People were rebelling. They say enough. We’ve got to see change. I think that’s what they’re saying in West Virginia as well,” McKinley said.