WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that would overturn job-killing Obama Administration regulations:

“For the last eight years, the Obama Administration has pushed through a number of harmful regulations that circumvent Congress, slow growth, shift power away from state and local governments toward Washington, and kill jobs.

“Even on the way out the door, the former administration’s regulatory onslaught continued as they rushed through more midnight regulations. These nearly 40 major regulations — which were pushed through by the Obama Administration since Election Day — would cost Americans a projected $157 billion according to one report.

“Fortunately, with a new president we now have the opportunity to give the American people relief and our economy a boost. One of the most important tools we have is the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to provide relief from heavy-handed regulations that hold our country back.

“The House just took an important step by sending us two pieces of legislation that will reassert congressional authority and make a real impact for the American people. One of those resolutions will address a regulation that puts U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage to private and foreign companies. Passing this resolution will allow the SEC to go back to the drawing board so that we can promote transparency — which is something we all want — but to do so without giving giant foreign conglomerates a leg up over American workers. We’ll take it up soon.

“The other resolution, which we’ll take up first, will address an 11th hour parting salvo in the Obama Administration’s war on coal families that could threaten one-third of America’s coal mining jobs. It’s identical to the legislation I introduced this week, and it’s a continuation of my efforts to push back against the former administration’s attacks on coal communities.

“Appalachian coal miners, like those in my home state of Kentucky, need relief now. That’s why groups like the Kentucky Coal Association, the United Mine Workers Association, and 14 state Attorneys General, among others, have all joined together in a call to overturn this regulation. The Senate should approve this resolution without delay and send it to the president’s desk. The sooner we do, the sooner we can begin undoing the job-killing policies associated with the Stream Buffer Rule.

“This is not a partisan issue. This is about bringing relief to those who need it and protecting jobs across the country. I hope our friends across the aisle will support our nation’s coal miners and join me in advancing this resolution. After we address these regulations, both the House and Senate will continue working to advance several other CRA resolutions that can bring the American people relief.”