In keeping with his campaign promise to protect the jobs of coal miners, President Trump on Thursday signed legislation rolling back an Obama-era set of regulations that burdened coal companies with expensive requirements. Trump's order nixes the "Stream Protection Rule," which required coal companies to perform extensive monitoring of streams and rivers that could be affected by mining operations. Mining companies were also tasked with returning waterways to pre-mining conditions. The coal industry estimated the cost of these job-killing measures to be in excess of $50 million per year.
Trump fulfills another campaign promise
“In eliminating this rule, I am continuing to keep my promise to the American people to get rid of wasteful regulations that do absolutely nothing but slow down the economy, hamstring companies, and push jobs to other countries,” announced Trump during the bill-signing ceremony in the Oval Office.
Trump's new legislation had some bipartisan support from Democrats representing the coal-rich Appalachian states. West Virginia's Democratic senator Joe Manchin ardently called upon the president to reverse the Obama-era regulations, which the GOP-controlled Congress was able to accomplish by enacting the seldom-used Congressional Review Act.
More repeals of Obama regulations are expected
The Congressional Review Act allows lawmakers to undo any regulation that had been put in place during the final months of a previous president's administration. As a result of this act, Congress can roll back any Obama-era regulation put into place after June of 2016. The bill signing ceremony came on the heels of a key procedural vote, 54-46, in the Senate to consider the confirmation Scott Pruitt, President Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
Trump’s repealing of the "Stream Protection Rule" marks his second Congressional Review Act signing. Trump signed a CRA to repeal a rule requiring oil and gas companies to disclose payments to foreign governments, as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill.
