Kentucky's U.S. senators and its five Republican congressmen have inserted themselves into a Supreme Court case, filing a legal brief that challenges environmental regulations on coal-fired power plants.
The "friend of the court" brief filed yesterday says the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority in tightening limits on coal powered-plant emissions.
Signing the brief were Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul and Reps. Hal Rogers, Ed Whitfield, Brett Guthrie, Thomas Massie and Andy Barr. Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas also joined the brief.
The case is an outgrowth of a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that cleared the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases under its authority to control air pollutants.
McConnell says the EPA misused that ruling to over regulate coal-fired power plants.Oral arguments in the case are set for February 24.