A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units: Final Repeal".

Mr. President, we are here on my Congressional Review Act motion, and I understand that the Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee has already spoken in opposition, so I want to make the case for why we should vote yes on this.

Months before the 2024 election, President Trump offered his Big Oil and Coal cronies a deal: If they gave him a billion dollars to take the White House, he would pay them back one hundredfold. Well, he doesn't keep a lot of promises, but he seems to have kept this one. Since taking office in January, Trump has bent over backward to make big polluters happy, and Americans pay the price.

This sweetheart billion-dollar deal for polluters has meant a number of things: one, basically a driveby window handing out regulatory exemptions to individual coal plants and other toxic sources to pollute with impunity. Quite the driveby window. That sweetheart deal meant ordering coal plants to stay online so that the coal dealers can continue to fuel them even against the wishes of the local communities and even the utilities themselves.

This sweetheart billion-dollar deal meant--and this is relevant to this particular motion--rolling back toxic pollution standards for every coal- and oil-fired powerplant across the country. EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics rule established lifesaving standards, restricting emissions of the most dangerous air pollutants from coal- and oil-fired powerplants. And, naturally, the Trump EPA rolled these health standards back.

As dirty power sources go, coal is the dirtiest. Coal plants are the largest source of mercury emissions in the United States. Mercury pollution is bad stuff, and coal and oil plants also emit massive volumes of other toxic pollutants, including arsenic, lead, and cadmium--more bad stuff.

Approximately 80 million Americans, including about 17 million children, live within 3 miles of one of those toxin-spewing, fossil fuel-fired powerplants. Without strong rules limiting their toxic pollution, all those millions of Americans are exposed to unacceptable risk to their health and well-being.

But in the Trump ``put polluters first'' world, that doesn't matter. We can do something about it, however, because the Congressional Review Act gives Congress the opportunity to vote on such evil regulations.

With the Trump administration engaged in an effort, at breakneck speed, to tear down protections of Americans' health and safety and our environment, Congressional Review Act resolutions like this one can help hold the administration to account and protect Americans' health and safety while doing so. For those reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this measure, in favor of the protection of those 17 million children in the harm zone of these toxins.

Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 409, S.J. Res. 188.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Vote on Motion

Mr. President, I rise today in opposition to S.J. Res. 188, the CRA introduced by my colleague from Rhode Island Senator Whitehouse to overturn the Trump EPA's repeal of the Biden MATS rule. This rule would reinstate the 2024 MATS rule that was part of the Biden administration's power sector strategy specifically designed to shut down coal-fired powerplants.

During the Biden administration, we witnessed a regulatory attack that targeted affordable and reliable sources of energy that extreme environmentalists just do not like. The result was predictable and one that many of us warned about: The Biden administration created a grid reliability crisis and increased power prices.

We are now in a critical moment for American energy. We must ensure the energy required to onshore American manufacturing, win the AI race, and keep our lights on and our homes warm while addressing energy costs for families and businesses. We should be expanding our energy production and electric generation, not shutting it down. The Biden-era MATS rule and

this CRA that would resuscitate that rule are intended to close coal- fired powerplants.

In 2020, the EPA found that the existing MATS standards are protective of public health. Let me say that again. In 2020, the EPA found that the existing--pre to the Biden rule--MATS standards are protective of public health, with an ample margin of safety, and that revisions are not necessary. This finding was reaffirmed with, by, and for the Biden administration.

According to the EPA, by 2021, mercury emissions from coal-fired powerplants were down 90 percent compared to pre-2012 levels. Despite these facts, the Biden EPA proceeded to finalize a rulemaking that had $860 million in compliance costs, which is twice as much as the claimed benefits.

The Trump administration has rightfully repealed these unnecessary and stringent standards.

This CRA would return to the failed policies of shutting down American energy, increasing consumer costs and putting American energy workers out of business. So I urge my colleagues to vote no on this

Mr. President, I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 131, Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 736-- Kathleen S. Lane, of Montana, to be United States District Judge for the District of Montana. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted nay.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 132, confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 736, Kathleen S. Lane, of Montana, to be United States District Judge for the District of Montana. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted nay.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 133, motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 743 Jeffrey M. Kuhlman, of Kansas, to be United States District Judge for the District of Kansas. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted nay.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 134, confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 743, Jeffrey M. Kuhlman, of Kansas, to be United States District Judge for the District of Kansas. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted nay.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 135, motion to proceed to Cal. No. 409, S.J. Res. 188, disapproving the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to ``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Unites: Final Repeal.'' If I were present, I would have voted yea.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 136, the motion to proceed to

Cal. No. 417, S. 2, To provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res 33. If I were present, I would have voted nay.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that if Senator Whitehouse or his designee makes a motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 188, the Senate vote on the motion to proceed at 2:15 p.m. tomorrow.

I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet) is necessarily absent.