Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., issued the following statement today in response to President Obama’s proposed regulations that make affordable and abundant energy sources out of reach for consumers, low-income families.

New regulations = war on abundant and affordable energy. Targeting coal hurts consumers, low-income families. http://t.co/dH4db6ITNM

— Mike Enzi (@SenatorEnzi) June 2, 2014

“It’s no secret that President Obama is not a fan of coal or traditional forms of energy. He’s been targeting them with red tape and regulations his entire presidency. That may benefit some people in alternative energy who have a hard time producing ample low-cost energy without government help and the president’s supporters that like it when he goes around the representatives of people who may not share their views, but it’s not going to improve the environment much. People will pay more for electricity and the economy will suffer so the president can increase his popularity with people who already favor his policies.

“When you try and put coal out of business, you’re not just targeting the economy, you’re targeting consumers. They’re the ones who are left paying the higher energy bills when all the abundant and affordable energy is off-limits thanks to misplaced priorities. It’s essentially an energy tax. The last thing we should be doing in this economy when so many Americans are out of work is make the bare essentials more expensive.”

Enzi and his Republican colleagues have offered numerous solutions to expand energy production. The Senate majority leader has chosen to block votes on these important ideas.