Spring has officially arrived and I know, like you, I am more than ready for longer days, warmer weather, and having friends and family over to grill hamburgers, pork steaks and corn on the cob.

Everything I just listed seems like simple pleasures in life, however, when we are still under the Obama Administration we must not take anything for granted. Each day this administration issues more regulations on our nation’s small businesses and families but there is a new announcement out of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that truly takes the cake.

Recently, the EPA announced a grant to the University of California-Riverside to conduct research directed at developing technology to reduce particle emissions from residential barbecues by decreasing the amount of grease that comes into contact with open flames. It is very likely that this is just the first step toward finding a way to regulate the every barbecue, grill, or smoker.

This is no joke; the EPA is spending your tax dollars to find ways to make it more expensive to grill in your own backyard. And sadly, we’ve seen similar actions from the EPA in the past.

Something else many Missourians use are wood burning stoves in homes. The EPA wanted to require New Source Performance Standards for residential wood burning heaters which would severely impact our 3^rd District residents and small businesses. I filed legislation and I remained vocal about the overreach of the EPA until the agency finally scaled back on the rule and took several of my suggestions. Even more troubling is the fact that EPA highlighted in these regulations that they were not going after fireplaces and grills, yet.  

Instead of having Americans worry about being able to have a family barbecue in the backyard, the administration needs to focus its efforts in getting people back to work and keeping more money in your pockets. I will continue to push back until the administration stops issuing excessive regulations on Americans, our economy, and small businesses. 

I will continue to oppose this blatant waste of taxpayer dollars and I believe that any action by the EPA to restrict residential barbecues would increase the cost of grills and pits and would place burdensome and expensive rules on the businesses that manufacture these items and the consumers who use them.