Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said he would repeal some of President Obama’s signature environmental regulations as part of his economic plans for his presidency.
In the fourth Republican presidential primary debate Tuesday night, Bush said he would repeal both the Clean Power Plan and the Waters of the United States regulations.
“The Clean Power Act (sic), we ought to repeal that and start over on that,” Bush said. “The Waters of the United States Act (sic), which will be devastating to farmers, we ought to repeal that.”
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The Clean Power Plan sets limits on carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants and is seen as Obama’s signature environmental regulation. The Waters of the U.S. rule would protect streams and wetlands that affect water quality and would more precisely define waters protected by the Clean Water Act.
Both plans are seen by many Republicans as examples of executive overreach by Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Critics of the Clean Power Plan say it would be another form of the cap-and-trade system shot down by Congress during Obama’s first term and would impose too many costs and fees on utilities for limited environmental gain. They also say it is unconstitutional since the EPA overreaches by imposing the rules on states, not power plants themselves.
The Waters of the United States rule has been criticized as giving the federal government unprecedented authority over drainage ditches and nearly anything else that can contain water.
