WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the West Virginia v. EPA Supreme Court decision:
“For more than fifty years, the Clean Air Act has reduced pollution and improved air quality and health for families in Minnesota and across the country. Fifteen years ago, a conservative-majority court correctly ruled that this law could be the basis for regulating greenhouse gases—a decision that was reaffirmed in a unanimous opinion in 2011.
“And yet, just 11 years later, this activist Supreme Court disregarded years of precedent and sided with large polluters and conservative special interests by gutting our ability to reduce power plant emissions.
“The Court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA is deeply flawed and will have a devastating impact on our ability to protect Americans from pollution and dangerous carbon emissions. The record heat waves and extreme weather we are experiencing demonstrate that the climate crisis is real and we need bold action now to protect our health, economy and security. This decision highlights the urgency of passing strong climate and clean energy legislation now.”
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