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Herrera Beutler-Championed Jobs Bill Passes Congress

Regulatory relief legislation approved with strong bipartisan support

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Washington, October 13, 2011 | comments
Today Jaime Herrera Beutler helped pass the no-cost, bipartisan jobs bill that will provide regulatory relief to Southwest Washington employers.
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Today Jaime Herrera Beutler helped pass the no-cost, bipartisan jobs bill that will provide regulatory relief to Southwest Washington employers.  She joined a majority of her House colleagues in approving the “EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011,” legislation she cosponsored. 

For the thousands of employers across the country that use boilers, this legislation would provide more time to bring their facilities into compliance with new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.  In addition, it gives the EPA the extra time it requested to make the regulations more achievable.  

“This bill’s passage in the House today is a big step toward protecting and growing Southwest Washington jobs,” said Herrera Beutler.  “Employers across our region, and the EPA, agree that we can make these regulations more reasonable, and this no-cost solution allows that to happen.  Now, it is up to the Senate and President to act on this bipartisan jobs bill.”

By the numbers:

20,500 jobs potentially lost by the primary pulp and paper industry without this legislation, or 18% of its workforce (source: American Forest and Paper Association)

At least $5.8 billion in compliance costs to employers (source: EPA), possibly as high as $14.3 billion (source: Council of Industrial Boiler Owners)

230,000 total jobs at risk at regulated facilities, their suppliers, and broader effects of the loss of direct and indirect spending (source: Council of Industrial Boiler Owners)

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