Ernst Works to Push Back Against Federal Overreach, Require Transparency Surrounding Biden’s Environmental Concerns

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, is working to push back against burdensome federal overreach and increase transparency surrounding the Biden administration’s climate agenda. Ernst is leading new legislation, called the  EPA Transparency Act, to increase congressional oversight over far-reaching and burdensome rules and regulations by President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Iowa’s farmers and small businesses.

 

“President Biden has continued to use environmental concerns as a smokescreen to impose more onerous federal rules and regulations, often to the detriment of Iowa’s farmers and small businesses. This new effort will increase oversight and transparency and hold the Biden administration accountable—ensuring they both demonstrate the need for any new regulation and understand its impact on Americans,” said Senator Ernst.

 

The EPA Transparency Act would require that every new rule from the EPA that increases the size of the federal government over an individual’s private land and property has dual reports that accompany it. The first report required is an accounting of hard data that supports their claim that the new rule is actually addressing climate change and not just a Trojan horse to expand the scope of their authority. The second report is an analysis on how the new rule will economically impact small businesses financially. Once these reports are completed, EPA is required to make them publicly available and to circulate them to Congressional offices.