CHARLESTON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice issued the following statement today after the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision in West Virginia v. EPA:
“I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision today in West Virginia v. EPA.
“This ruling in favor of West Virginia will stop unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. from being able to unilaterally decarbonize our economy just because they feel like it. Instead, members of Congress who have been duly elected to represent the will of the people across all of America will be allowed to have a rightful say when it comes to balancing our desire for a clean environment with our need for energy and the security it provides us.
“People like to say ‘D.C. has too much power.’ They’re right. For too long, our federal bureaucracy has had almost unlimited, unchecked power over us with little accountability to the public. Agencies shouldn’t get to make unilateral decisions affecting all of our lives without Congress’s vote. That’s what this case really does, it gives power back to the people.
“West Virginia is one of the few states in the nation where all agency regulations must be approved by a vote of the state legislature before they take effect. I’m glad that the federal government will now be following the West Virginia model.
“I want to thank our Attorney General for all his hard work arguing this case right up to the Supreme Court. This ruling will have a positive impact on our country for generations to come and I’m proud that West Virginia was the state leading the way in this landmark case.”
