White House: Mitch McConnell's advice to states to ignore EPA rules is bad form

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the midst of finalizing regulations that would require states to cut carbon emissions, and the Obama administration, unsurprisingly, is not happy that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been undermining the agency's authority by telling governors that because the EPA is breaking the law, their new rules can be ignored.

White House spokesman Frank Benenati called McConnell's alternative "an inappropriate and unfounded attempt to dictate state decisions."

Reuters reports, however, that the EPA is determined to regulate states that refuse to cooperate with the Clean Power Act.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

''The EPA is going to regulate,'' said Gina McCarthy, the EPA's administrator. "If folks are thinking any of those pieces aren't going to happen... I think they need to look at the history of the Clean Air Act more carefully. This isn't how we do business."

The EPA is currently being sued by several states who say certain aspects of the bill are illegal, and a ruling on the case is expected in mid-April.