Trump Announces Historic Regulatory Relief
This week, President Donald J. Trump announced the single largest deregulatory action in American history: the full revocation of the disastrous Obama-era "Endangerment Finding" and the consumer mandates that depended on it. This decisive action dismantles the flawed 2009 determination that Democrats weaponized to justify over $1.3 trillion in burdensome regulations on American families, businesses, and consumers.
This historic step clears the path for lower prices, greater consumer choice, and a thriving economy. American families will save an average of over $2,400 on new cars, SUVs, and trucks. Transportation and trucking costs will drop, helping bring down the price of everyday goods. Drivers will no longer be forced into unnecessary, unpopular features that limit choice and jack up costs.
President Trump is proving once again that strong leadership delivers real results: lower prices, more freedom, and a stronger economy for every American.
America's Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth: "EPA's Endangerment Finding has been used as the basis for regulations that threaten the reliability of our nation's electric grid. These regulations, such as President Obama's Clean Power Plan and President Biden's Clean Power Plan 2.0, were designed to force the premature retirement of coal power plants across the U.S. and increase our nation's reliance on electricity sources that are not as reliable as coal. … Forcing the retirement of America's coal fleet and jeopardizing our electricity supply makes no sense because the U.S. coal fleet is responsible for just 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions while China and India's emissions account for nearly 40%. The U.S. must take advantage of our coal assets, just as our global competitors are relying on coal to fuel their own economic growth."
America First Policy Institute Energy and Environment Director Jason Hayes: "This is a critical step toward restoring common sense in climate policy. The rule had become a weapon for sweeping and burdensome regulation, such as electric vehicle mandates, that was driven by a radical environmental agenda. The United States has shown time and again that we can achieve a cleaner environment, including clear skies and waters, without aggressive climate catastrophist mandates. By using an America First approach to fossil fuels, we can build a country that balances the need for safety and environmental care with economic growth. The Endangerment Finding was unlawful, unscientific, and unnecessary to provide the clean and productive environment that Americans desire and deserve."
American Energy Alliance President Tom Pyle: "Thank you, President Trump and Administrator Zeldin, for this historic victory for American energy freedom, economic prosperity, and commonsense policymaking that serves the interests of American workers, families, and businesses. Since its inception, the Endangerment Finding has been weaponized against projects and goods that deliver affordable, reliable energy to the American people. It has affected investment and infrastructure decisions in ways that have harmed U.S. competitiveness, purely to advance a political ideology."
American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce CEO Gentry Collins: "This bold decision by the Trump Administration removes the foundation for the failed experiment of mandating electric vehicles and restores common-sense limits on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to regulate greenhouse gases only where Congress clearly gave the agency that task. The rule published dismantles burdensome electrification mandates that have stifled innovation, raised costs for ordinary Americans and businesses, and hollowed out our industrial base by making us dependent on China. We applaud the Trump Administration for its decisive leadership, and we intend to aggressively combat any ensuing legal challenge to this historic rulemaking."
Americans for Prosperity Energy Policy Fellow Faith Burns: "An agency must operate within the framework of its statutory authority. With today's action, EPA is doing just that. EPA decisions impact our economy significantly. Today's decision will have a positive impact not only on energy production, but on our economy."
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist: "Thank you @POTUS and @epaleezeldin for delivering historic deregulation by rescinding the Obama Endangerment Finding. This is how the Left weaponized the EPA to kill new projects, strangle investment and threaten whole industries. This is a major win for affordable energy."
Competitive Enterprise Institute Center for Energy & Environment Director Daren Bakst: "Today, the EPA took a big step in ensuring that the agency sticks to its statutory mission of environmental protection instead of being an economic central planner reshaping the economy and dictating how Americans live their lives. Greenhouse gas regulation is a tool that can be used as the basis for some of the most egregious examples of government abuse. We have already seen this with the Biden EPA's efforts to try and kill off gas-powered cars and reliable electricity generation. Climate extremists will inevitably blast the EPA's actions, but most Americans realize government policies that drive up prices, restrict freedom, and ignore the rule of law are devastating for the well-being of our nation."
CO2 Coalition Executive Director Gregory Wrightstone: "The repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency's Endangerment Finding by Administrator Lee Zeldin is cause for celebration. The basis of this wrongheaded climate regulation put ideology ahead of science. The rule has been an impediment to economic growth, a cause of rising energy costs and a destroyer of many thousands of jobs at power plants, coal mines and manufacturing facilities. Since the 2009 enactment of the Endangerment Finding, its scientific underpinnings have been found to be even weaker than previously believed and contradicted by empirical data, peer-reviewed studies and research."
Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow: "Thank you @POTUS and @epaleezeldin for repealing the Endangerment Finding, a rule that negatively impacted American lives and our economy. America is freer and more prosperous thanks to you."
Energy Capital Economic Development Executive Director Rusty Bell: "Both of these policies by President Trump are very good for Wyoming coal and energy sustainability and reliability into the future for the United States. Energy is the most important piece to America's prosperity and security. We should be looking to add all types of generation to the grid, including significant addition of coal fired generation for that affordable reliable electricity."
Ford Motor Company spokesman Dave Tovar: "We appreciate the work of President Trump and Administrator Zeldin to address the imbalance between current emissions standards and customer choice. Ford has consistently advocated for a single, stable national standard that aligns with customer choice, the market, societal benefit, and American job growth."
Heritage Foundation Executive Vice President Derrick Morgan: "President Trump's rescission of the Obama administration's 2009 Endangerment Finding is on solid legal, economic, and scientific grounds. The Clean Air Act simply does not give EPA the power of a central planner for the economy, as Obama and Biden's greenhouse gas regulations envisioned. Catastrophic global warming claims relied on models that systematically overstated the warming and extreme weather events that have occurred since, while the impact of eliminating U.S. vehicle GHGs is so vanishingly small that it wouldn't even be measurable. Combined with needed permitting reform, this action can pave the way for the energy abundance and affordability that America's working families need and deserve while bringing to bear our plentiful energy resources to compete with China."
Independent Women's Center for Energy and Conservation Director Gabriella Hoffman: "It's long overdue to repeal the 2009 endangerment finding that labels carbon dioxide as a pollutant. The Obama EPA exceeded its authority regulating CO2 as harmful to human health under the Clean Air Act. For 16 years, this regulation tethered our economy to unsustainable, costly net-zero climate policies that failed to deliver lower emissions. The shale boom and energy innovation-not heavy-handed government-are responsible for lower emissions today. Carbon dioxide is only 0.04% of the atmosphere and is essential for plant life. Energy deregulation won't lead to decimation of the environment, either. This is a necessary course correction, and returns power back to Congress. Independent Women's Center for Energy and Conservation applauds the Trump administration for repealing this flawed rule and putting science-not politics-first."
Life:Powered: "The Endangerment Finding triggered regulations across mining, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and energy - imposing billions in costs on American families and businesses. After years of fighting this flawed rule, Life:Powered applauds the EPA's decision."
Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma President Brook A. Simmons: "The announcement that the EPA has repealed the endangerment finding marks an important shift in federal policy, and I applaud the Trump administration's efforts to return the agency to the rule of law and common-sense policies. Sound public policy must balance environmental stewardship with economic opportunity while encouraging energy abundance. Removing a regulatory foundation that has been weaponized to increase costs for consumers, harm the oil and natural gas industry, and undermine U.S. energy security is an important step toward regulatory certainty and competitive energy markets. The future of energy in the United States depends on innovation, not litigation, and on a regulatory framework that ensures affordable, reliable energy for families and businesses alike."
Specialty Equipment Market Association/Performance Racing Industry CEO Mike Spagnola: "This is a tremendous decision by the EPA to course-correct after nearly two decades of abuses by previous administrations at the federal and state levels, and instead return sanity to our nation's environmental policies. It was with great trepidation that SEMA/PRI watched our nation's leaders demonize and ban the very motor vehicles that serve as the bedrock upon which the American people-families, small businesses, and automotive enthusiasts-rely to live their best, most prosperous lives. It was even more infuriating to watch these policymakers brazenly justify their actions with a dubious policy position that now rightly goes away, to be replaced with a common-sense, free-market view of what drives our nation's prosperity."
Stellantis: "Stellantis welcomes today's decision, because it enables us to continue offering Americans a broad range of cars, trucks and SUVs - including BEVs, REEVs, hybrids and efficient internal combustion engines - that they want, need and can afford. We remain supportive of a rational, achievable approach on fuel economy standards that preserves our customers' freedom of choice."
Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams: "After 16 long years of overregulation and unconstitutional overreach, President Trump is absolutely right to finally end the endangerment finding. The determination had given bureaucrats a blank check to enact heavy-handed regulations that impact everything from vehicle manufacturing to oil and natural gas refining and processing. It shifted enormous policymaking power from Congress to unelected officials. Today's decision restores accountability and signals that lawmakers, not unelected bureaucrats, are in the driver's seat… TPA applauds President Trump for putting taxpayers and consumers ahead of reckless and unaccountable bureaucrats. There is plenty more red tape to cut, and we look forward to more free-market reforms from the White House."
The American Consumer Institute Senior Policy Analyst and Manager for Energy Kristen Walker: "I applaud the Trump administration's decision to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding (EF) which has been used to justify heavy-handed legislation and mandates for greenhouse gas regulation. The EF delegated sweeping legislative power to the executive branch, enabling agencies to reshape the energy and industrial sectors without direct congressional authority… Rescinding the EF will lower costs, uphold statutory limits, and usher in a more common sense and democratically accountable approach to energy policy."
The Heartland Institute Arthur B. Robinson Center for Climate and Environmental Policy Director H. Sterling Burnett: "This action is long overdue and good for the American people, freeing up the auto industry to make the vehicles people want unburdened by unnecessary emission restrictions or money-losing electric vehicle mandates. Today is a win for car and truck buyers and Trump should be applauded for taking this action. The endangerment finding was never justified by either science or law. Now it's time to strike another blow for affordability, and strike while the iron is hot, to rescind endangerment for power plants as well."
Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Studies Chief Economist and Acting Director E.J. Antoni: "Rescinding this failed bureaucratic overreach is tremendous news for the American people and American business. The empirical evidence is quite clear: this reduction in burdensome, inefficient regulation will save consumers, workers, and employers well over $1 trillion. It's welcome news that, under the Trump administration, the American people come first once again, not radical political ideology."
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita: "President @realDonaldTrump has officially rescinded a 2009 "endangerment finding" concocted to justify trillions of dollars in burdensome regulations of carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. This is the single, largest deregulatory action in U.S. history, saving taxpayers over $1.3 trillion and is a massive VICTORY!"
West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey: "I am enormously excited for this announcement. The Trump administration promised to deregulate, and repealing the unconstitutional Obama-era 'endangerment finding' is the single most impactful deregulatory action in American history. This rule was the first salvo of a war against working class Americans. It adopted a radical agenda based on pseudoscience, and it raised the price of every single American product. The endangerment finding's impact can't be overstated. It has cost American families over a trillion dollars since its adoption in 2009. So, EPA's repeal efforts will save American families money and make vehicles-and every good transported by them-more affordable. The Obama administration designed this rule to force gas cars to go the way of the 8-track. But American consumers have spoken… Repealing the endangerment finding is long overdue."
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso: "The endangerment finding was based on political expediency - not scientific standards. The Biden and Obama administrations routinely abused this finding as an excuse to roll out red tape that destroyed jobs across America. I applaud the Trump administration for reversing this harmful action and restoring commonsense at the @EPA."
Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton: "For far too long, Arkansans have paid the price of the disastrous Green New Deal. That ended today. I'm thankful President Trump and @epaleezeldin have cut unnecessary bureaucratic red tape which will lower prices for all consumers."
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito: "I applaud this groundbreaking effort from the Trump EPA to further roll back costly regulations from the Obama and Biden administrations that have placed economic hardship on hardworking Americans. This repeal will have a transformational impact on my home state of West Virginia, as these efforts reverse the harmful Democrat attacks on affordable, gas-powered vehicles that West Virginians have endured for far too long. This action represents a key win for affordability, job creation and consumer choice, and I congratulate President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for their continued success in producing visible results for the American people."
Sen. John Cornyn: "As the Trump EPA repeals Obama's so-called endangerment finding, progressives fear they won't be able to dictate the energy supplies, cars and appliances that Americans can buy."
Sen. Kevin Cramer: "The endangerment finding is the definition of inventing authority out of thin air to justify bureaucratic creep. It's been used as a cudgel against American manufacturers and producers when Congress never included it in the Clean Air Act. I'm grateful to @epaleezeldin and @POTUS for repealing this heavy-handed endangerment finding."
Sen. Cynthia Lummis: "I'm thrilled @POTUS & @epaleezeldin are rescinding the imbecilic Obama-era rule used to expand federal overreach. It never received proper congressional debate or approval, yet fueled a decades-long campaign against our fossil fuel industry in the name of climate change."
Rep. Brian Babin: "Rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding is a long-overdue step toward restoring the proper limits of federal regulatory authority. For years, this finding has been used to justify sweeping greenhouse gas regulations that have raised costs for American families, restricted domestic energy production, and placed heavy burdens on manufacturers, workers, and consumers. The Clean Air Act was never intended to serve as a vehicle for such broad regulatory authority, and stretching the law beyond its original purpose has created uncertainty and undermined American competitiveness. I commend EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the Trump Administration for taking action to ensure environmental policy is grounded in strong legal footing and realistic assessments. This decision will help protect consumer choice, support a strong and reliable energy sector, and reinforce the principle that major national policy decisions should be made by Congress-not imposed through regulatory overreach."
Rep. Jim Baird: "Today, @POTUS and @epaleezeldin announced the largest deregulatory action in American history and rolled back the costly Obama-era Endangerment Finding! Since 2009, the Endangerment Finding has cost Americans over one trillion dollars and paved the way for burdensome vehicle emission mandates. I was honored to join @epaleezeldin and @SecretaryWright as they unveiled their proposal to rescind this rule in July of last year. I'm grateful the Trump Administration is taking action to stand up for our automakers and lower costs for Hoosier families."
Rep. Kat Cammack: "'GREEN NEW SCAM' up in smoke. The climate crowd said killing Obama-era emissions rules would wreck America. Instead? Cheaper cars. More energy. Less bureaucratic chokehold. America builds again."
Rep. Ben Cline: "This Obama-era emissions rule drove up costs by thousands and piled on outrageous regulations that ultimately hit consumers' wallets. @epaleezeldin and @POTUS are championing affordability by nixing this ridiculous regulation, thereby driving down the prices of vehicles."
Rep. Michael Cloud: "No more pretending plant food is a public health crisis. No more weaponizing EPA against American cars, trucks, jobs, and families."
Rep. Harriet Hageman: "Rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding is a necessary step to stop regulatory overreach that targeted American energy, raised costs, and threatened Wyoming jobs. This authority belongs with Congress and the American people, not unelected bureaucrats."
Rep. Richard Hudson: "Today, President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin delivered the largest deregulatory action in American history. The Obama-era Endangerment Finding, which drove years of costly vehicle mandates, is gone. That includes eliminating the ridiculous start-stop feature that shuts your engine off at every red light. This action saves Americans $1.3 trillion, lowers vehicle costs by an average of $2,400, and restores real consumer choice. We're cutting red tape, lowering costs, and putting families back in the driver's seat."
Rep. Barry Moore: "Washington bureaucrats shouldn't dictate what you drive or how much you pay for it. The Trump Administration is cutting red tape, scrapping costly mandates, and putting Americans back in the driver's seat - saving families trillions and restoring common sense."
Rep. Riley Moore: "By rolling back the Obama-era Endangerment Finding, the Trump Administration has delivered the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history-undoing the climate crisis hoax that drove up prices and cost hard-working West Virginian coal miners their jobs. A massive win for American families, American workers, and American energy dominance. President Trump is putting the American Dream back within reach."
Rep. Pete Stauber: "Today, @POTUS and @epaleezeldin announced the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history: the repeal of the Obama-era Endangerment Finding. This move will save American taxpayers over 1.3 TRILLION and save American families over $2,400 for a new vehicle!"
Rep. Tim Walberg: "I applaud @POTUS and @epaleezeldin for repealing this burdensome Obama-era policy that drove up costs and limited options for Michigan families. We must continue to remove costly regulations."
Rep. Daniel Webster: "Americans should be able to purchase vehicles that best for their needs, not those of unelected Washington bureaucrats. Today, @POTUS and @epaleezeldin are delivering historic deregulation that restores consumer choice and lowers costs for Americans."
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/02/president-trump-delivers-biggest-regulatory-relief-in-history/
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