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e e e e e e e e

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e e rules committee will come to order good afternoon securing America's Energy Future is critical to our security and our economic strength both now and for Generations yet to come nothing makes this clearer than the geopolitical

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Dynamics that are currently at play adversaries like Russia and China are looking for ways to invest influence and in fact dominate the market they want countries everywhere to be reliant on Russian energy the United States cannot

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sit back and watch while that happens our nation produces energy better safer cleaner than anywhere else in the world in fact Texas my state is the number one producer of natural gas and and in fact overall energy in the nation we're

0:06:03

number one in wind and number one in solar we're home to the largest amount of crude oil refineries in the country as energy demand Soares it's more important than ever that we continue to grow our domestic production to meet our

0:06:16

needs and Export reliable Energy Products to friends and allies abroad despite this President Biden's regulatory actions in office have incentivized heavy Reliance on imported oil from foreign autocrats additionally Biden's policies have discouraged

0:06:33

private investment in traditional energy projects and harmed American consumers by things such as killing the Keystone Pipeline moreover they've limited oil and gas drilling on federal lands blocked liquid natural gas export

0:06:48

terminal permits and hindered the mining of federal reserves alongside decimating energy advantages gained from previous administrations these policies have resulted in record high prices at the pump in home utility bills and at the

0:07:04

grocery store gas prices are up Nationwide by an average of 40 cents a gallon and you know what back home it's nearly $3 a gallon if it's $3 a gallon in February and March it's going to be a dollar higher after Memorial Day House

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Republicans believe that there is a different path one that lowers energy costs and secures energy Independence and in fact benefits all Americans last year the the house passed hr1 a comprehensive set of energy policies

0:07:34

that will increase energy production and lower energy costs across the board today we take up five measures to further encourage American Energy independence first we'll consider hr10 23 The Cutting green corruption and

0:07:49

taxes act this measure will repeal the greenhouse gas reduction fund and the natural gas tax both of these were established by democrats in the last Cong Congress as part of the partisan tax and spend agenda that helped to fuel

0:08:03

money into partisan and liberal interests eliminating these Provisions will protect the taxpayer and subsequently promote responsible government and ensure that energy costs are lower for Americans families and and businesses next we'll discuss HR 1121

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the protecting American energy production act which will stop the president from unilaterally declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing hydraulic fracturing has helped Drive the United States energy Independence and lowered costs for families it is

0:08:36

vital to our Energy Future and we must protect domestic energy producers from the White House's continual surrender to the green New Deal activists the committee will also consider HR 60009 the restoring American Energy dominance act which eliminates a

0:08:53

proposed Bureau of Land Management rule that will increase fees for oil and gas production the net effects of this rule would be to limit exploration and production and Crush small businesses preventing BLM from moving forward with

0:09:07

their Draconian proposal will help encourage further future energy production and support lower prices for American consumers we will also consider HR 723 7023 the creating confidence in clean water permitting act this measure will

0:09:24

streamline and clarify the permitting process under the Clean Water Act this will help reduce regulatory burdens and cut bureaucratic red tape to help move infrastructure Agriculture and energy development projects forward while still

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maintaining strong conservation principles finally we will take up hcon res86 to reiterate the detrimental impacts of a carbon tax and what that would create President Biden's failed energy agenda has already made it

0:09:54

costlier to fill up our cars keep lights on and put food on the table the last thing Americans Need is Another tax burden for families that will hamper energy in Innovation I would not like to yield to our ranking member Mr movern for any

0:10:10

comments that he wishes to make well thank you Mr chairman and I'm so glad to be here for another week filled with harmful measures that prevent climate action and benefit Republicans uh big energy donors uh today we have four Pro

0:10:22

polluter bills and two do nothing non-binding resolutions these bills gut pollution reduction programs make it easier for industry to contaminate the water we drink and the air we breathe they provide Shameless handouts to the

0:10:35

oil and gas industry surprise surprise the people who write their checks around here and each of these bills is lousy together they are a complete and utter disaster that fails to take the threat of the climate crisis seriously and

0:10:48

let's also set the record straight because there's a lot of just tired and false rhetoric about the Biden Administration contained in these measures first of all domestic energy production under this Administration has

0:10:59

hit all-time highs across the board at the end of 2023 the US continued its 5-year run as the world's largest oil producer we currently produce more oil than any country ever the same is true for natural gas on federal lands oil

0:11:16

production under this Administration has also achieved records and offshore production has remained steadily near historic highs and let me be very clear I'm not highlighting these facts because I like them I find it very troubling

0:11:29

that we are producing so much oil uh as we are as as we are given the existential threat of climate change but my friends on the other side need to be honest with the American people personally I think America ought to be

0:11:41

doing way more to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels I'm proud of the progress that we've made renewable energy production is growing exponentially wind energy now accounts for more than 10% of total us energy production powering 46

0:11:57

million homes and solar install achieve record levels of new production in 2023 but we can do more because the reality is that fossil fuel companies continue to rake in record-breaking profits while gouging consumers and the Republican

0:12:12

solution is not to hold them accountable but to give them more government handouts and to push measures to deregulate distract and dismantle and help big energy CEOs so Republicans aren't serious about working with Democrats to govern half of the measures

0:12:27

before us already came through this committee via hr1 that seems to be the Republican Mo lately past things that have already passed past silly censures sham impeachments and stupid messaging bills but offer no ideas no Solutions no real

0:12:43

attempts at bipartisanship it's been nine months nine months since the rules committee met on a bill that actually became law nine months the Appropriations mini bus that we will that will fund half of our government is set to pass are

0:12:59

suspension this week not coming through the rules committee and who even knows if the rule we pass out of this committee today will even pass on the floor Kevin McCarthy and Kevin McCarthy 2.0 Mike Johnson have lost six rule votes since January

0:13:15

2023 look let me let me end on this I have said it over and over and over to my colleagues if there are any moderate Republicans left please break up with Maga stop letting the extremists run your conference work with Democrats

0:13:29

partner with us to get things done put people over politics and let's work together for the good of the country Republicans barely control one half of one branch of government and this majority is hanging on by a thread so

0:13:42

stop fighting um stop fighting with Maga and start working with us let's do what we're supposed to do on a democracy and find common ground to move forward and with that I yield back my remainder of my time chair thanks to the ranking member

0:13:58

for his thoughtful comment I want to call up our first panel representative Jeff Duncan and representative Paul tonko from the committee on Energy and Commerce and representative Pete stabber and representative Debbie Dingle from the

0:14:10

committee on natural resources representative Duncan I welcome your testimony uh thank you Mr chairman and uh ranking member of McGovern I come here on behalf of the Energy and Commerce Committee as chair of the energy subcommittee and uh thank you for

0:14:26

recognizing me to speak in uh support of hr1 23 The Cutting green corruption and taxes act from representative Gary Palmer and hres 987 from representative Dan new house which denounces the anti-American energy policies of the B

0:14:41

Administration now to address one of the things Mr McGovern said I'm glad we're an all-time high of energy production oil and gas but really that's due to the policies of the states themselves like North Dakota during the fracking Revolution

0:14:59

and due to the policies of the last Administration that supported oil and gas production has nothing to do with the B Administration which really began on day one to end development for oil and gas production stop leases on Federal Land

0:15:14

both onshore and offshore and to stop critical pipeline infrastructure I can't point to a single initiative from this Administration the B Administration that actually helped increase production of oil and gas in the United States the rules committee

0:15:29

print of HR 1023 before us today combines two important pieces of legislation that were each considered through regular order and the Energy and Commerce Committee these bills were both the subject of a legislative hearing and

0:15:43

markups they were both favorably reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee in March of last year and they were also included in the House pass hr1 the rules PR of hr20 1023 combines HR 1023 to repeal epa's greenhouse gas

0:15:57

reduction fund and HR 1141 to repeal epa's recently proposed natural gas tax Congress must act to reign in the B Administration and stop the Environmental Protection Agency from squandering taxpayer dollars with more waste Fraud and Abuse it's an Open

0:16:11

Secret here in Washington that President Biden and the EPA are rushing to spend $27 billion to subsidize new Green Banks under the Democrats climate Bill EPA is planning to obligate the funding on a rush timeline to a small number of

0:16:25

environmental special interest groups to evade accountability and oversight by Congress this green green Bank giveaway is likely to end in corruption Scandal it was first proposed in the green new deal as a means to use taxpayer funds to

0:16:39

finance climate Investments that are too risky for commercial Banks the program was set up to avoid taxpayer accountability under the program EPA serves merely as a conduit for sending money directly to environmental groups

0:16:51

seeking to decarbonized community so the EPA will not be responsible for conducting the due diligence and protecting the public interest epa's Green Bank is a threat to America's national security during a hearing in

0:17:03

the Energy and Commerce Committee an EPA official confirmed that funds from the Green Bank may go to China EPA does not care that cheap Chinese batteries and solar panels are made with slave labor and with zero Environmental Protections

0:17:17

through our oversight the committee found that eliminating epa's green bank will reduce the budget deficit protect against government corruption and stop China from receiving hardworking Americans tax dollars in addition to

0:17:28

repealing the green Bank HR 1023 will also repeal epa's recently proposed natural gas tax beginning this year every American will begin to see the natural gas tax on their utility bills and at the grocery store EPA ratchets up

0:17:42

the natural gas tax we'll start to see price increases across the board for everything that uses natural gas either as a fuel or a feed stock the natural gas tax is a national security threat the tax will harm American Energy and

0:17:55

Manufacturing workers by encouraging companies to re relocate outside the United States the natural gas tax could also have devastating impact on our electricity prices and grid liability as 40% of our poers produce with natural

0:18:08

gas through our oversight the committee found that eliminating the natural gas tax will preserve good paying American jobs it'll actually help reduce utility bills and energy prices and protect America's national security Now from day

0:18:21

one the B Administration has wage war on American Energy the B administration's actions and policies have jeopardized our grid security caused America to become more dependent on foreign adversaries and increased energy cost for Americans gas prices hit a

0:18:34

four-month high this week with a national average of $346 a gallon President Biden's anti-American energy policies know no end there's taxing natural gas blocking pipelines Banning LG exports imposing aggressive EPA regulations and it just goes on and on

0:18:51

just look at this week in which the B Administration plans to announce a rule that will mandate that 67% of new vehicles must be all electric by 2032 regardless of cost to the consumer regardless of functionality and regardless of consumer choice these

0:19:08

policies are bad for American families and American workers congressman and Western caucus chairman Dan new House's resolution hres 987 denounces these harmful anti-American energy policies I urge all my colleagues support this

0:19:21

resolution and the legislative solutions to reverse President Biden's America last energy agenda and deliver affordable and reliable energy to the American people in conclusion I'd like to mention that my legislation HR 1121

0:19:35

protecting America's energy production Act is also being considered by rules committee today this is a significant piece of legislation that ensures the president cannot ban hydraulic fracturing which has been a GameChanger

0:19:47

for oil and gas production here in the United States it has made us more energy secure it's lowered energy cost for Americans and it's reduced emissions with that I'd like to thank uh the members of The Rules Committee for

0:19:58

considering these bills today and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have when the time's appropriate now y back thank you chair Duncan go next to Mr tonko also of the Energy and Commerce Committee thank you chairman Burgess and

0:20:10

thank you ranking member McGovern and the members of the committee for the opportunity to address you I'm here today to testify on hr1234w which were enacted by the inflation reduction act will reduce pollution lower the deficit and leverage

0:20:34

private sector investment in clean energy projects across our nation they will have tremendous benefits for communities especially those that have historically been left behind this is the third time Republicans have brought

0:20:47

bills to repeal these programs to the house floor hr10 23 makes it clear that Republicans are out of ideas and the suite of dirty energy bills included in this week's agenda simply demonstrate that House Republicans refuse to hold polluters

0:21:02

accountable for the damage they cause damage to our air our water our communities and certainly our climate hr10 23 would stifle the progress that is being made toward a clean energy future the inflation reduction act

0:21:18

delivered historic wins for the American people it has already helped create more than 271,000 new good paying clean energy jobs and will cut costs for our Working Families as part of that legislation we enacted the greenhouse

0:21:33

gas reduction fund which will invest 27 billion to mobilize financing and private Capital to address the climate crisis to Foster energy Independence to lower energy costs and yes to promote job creation this fund is using the

0:21:49

successful model and track record of Green Banks and community-based lenders to support projects that otherwise lack access to Capital and Accel at the transition to an equitable Clean Energy Future the Biden Administration is hard

0:22:05

at work establishing the fund in accordance with the law nonprofits States and local governments have submitted applications in hopes of receiving funding today these entities are eagerly awaiting epa's announcement of awards by repealing this program

0:22:21

especially at this stage of the implementation process Republicans are essentially stealing a tremendous opportunity from so many disadvantaged and Rural communities that stand to benefit from these funds all to use this program to offset the repeal of the

0:22:36

methane emissions Reduction Program which brings me to the second component of hr1234w this program is not a tax but rather ensures polluters pay for wasted methane it holds individual companies responsible for their own leaks and

0:23:07

wasted methane while recognizing the cleanest performers to be clear companies can avoid paying a waste emissions charge altogether by not wasting methane wasted methane is bad for business it's bad for consumers and certainly bad for climate HR 1023 would

0:23:25

allow this waste to continue unabated methane is a potent climate disrupting greenhouse gas that is responsible for about onethird of the warming we are facing today and at a time when our nation is experiencing a$1 billion doll

0:23:39

or more extreme weather event every 3 weeks it is critical that we reduce climate pollution like that of methane the greatest and most cost-effective way to curb methane pollution over the next decade is to tackle it in the fossil

0:23:54

fuel sector after all the oil and gas sector is the largest indust Industrial Source of methane emissions in the United States without action to curb these emissions methane pollution will continue to cause significant harm to

0:24:07

Public Health threaten the instability of our economy and compromise the well-being of our communities and planet now and into the future climate change is here and is taking a toll on American families we should be working together

0:24:21

to build a better future for all by investing in clean energy and holding polluters accountable for the damage they cause instead we are considering considering these failed proposals on the floor for now a third time the Republican agenda continues to

0:24:37

compromise Americans health and American Safety and threatens our Global competitiveness by putting polluters over people that's why I oppose hr10 23 it's not a solution it's a windfall for methane polluters at the expense of

0:24:53

Rural and disadvantaged communities seeking to get their fair share in the clean energy economy of the future and with that I yield back thank you for your testimony uh chair would now recognize uh Mr stabber uh thank you chairman Burgess

0:25:09

and ranking member McGovern and members of the committee uh for giving me the opportunity to testify today in support of Two Bills HR 1121 the protecting American energy production act and HR 6009 the restoring American Energy

0:25:26

dominance act America America is rich in natural resources and we know how to produce them cleaner safer and more responsibly than anywhere else in the world the two bills we are discussing today will ensure that onshore American

0:25:41

energy production can continue to benefit American families jobs our economy communities and our energy security and our national security HR 1121 introduced by Mr Duncan of South Carolina would prevent any president from from issuing a moratorium on

0:25:59

hydraulic fracturing and establish a sense of Congress that states should regulate hydraulic fracturing on State and private land hydraulic fracturing has been around for almost 100 years but recent techn technological improvements

0:26:15

and the Advent of horizontal drilling have allowed the United States to become a global energy superpower we were once worried about running out of oil now we are the world's top oil and gas producer on the campaign Trail then candidate

0:26:31

Biden said he would ban fracking while Biden's team attempted to walk the statement back due to public backlash President Biden has continued to wage war on American energy production in truth a ban on hydraulic fracturing would devastate the American

0:26:49

economy and force the United States and the world to rely on Russia Iran or China for their energy resources Federal efforts to regulate fracking which is currently adequately regulated by the states could have an equally devastating

0:27:06

impact during the Obama Administration the Bureau of Land Management attempted to regulate the practice for federal lands and minerals but the courts throughout the effort HR 1121 would ensure that the Biden Administration

0:27:20

could not resurrect this failed Obama policy or a similar Ru making and protect domestic energy produ ction HR 60009 introduced by representative boubert of Colorado would nullify the blm's proposed onshore oil and gas

0:27:39

leasing regulations the regulations put forward by the Biden Administration will will curtail energy production on federal lands by limiting onshore leasing reducing flexibility and increasing fees the blm's proposed regulations eliminate Nationwide bonds

0:27:57

while increasing individual bonding requirements 15-fold and Statewide bonding requirements 20-fold the rationale for doing this is to protect taxpayers from having to clean up orphaned Wells based on these significant increases one would

0:28:14

think there's an orphaned well crisis on BLM lands in fact just the opposite is true according to the Department of the Interior there are only 37 orphan Wells on BLM lands and the department department has only called in bonds 40

0:28:30

times over the last decade the proposed regulations also introduce new and vague preference criteria for evaluating onshore oil and gas leasing the criteria purport to avoid conflict in areas with quote sensitive culture wildlife and

0:28:47

recreation resources end quote however the criteria are vaguely defined and could sign significantly reduce leasing thereby threatening the longevity of the entire entro oil and gas leasing program the proposed regulations are another

0:29:02

attempt by this Administration to cease energy production on federal lands HR 6009 would stop blm's proposed regulations before they increase energy cost and threaten American energy production American jobs and our national security both HR 1121 and HR

0:29:23

6009 had a hearing and a markup in the committee on natural resour resources they have regular order behind them in the committee and I support them moving to the floor I urge the rules committee to report out an appropriate rule to

0:29:37

allow for the Bill's consideration in the house and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation thank you and I happy to answer any questions you may have thank you Mr stabber congresswoman Dingle thank you thank you Mr

0:29:54

chairman and ranking M McGovern I'm here here on behalf of the Democrats of the natural resources committee I must admit I'm disappointed we're here talking about how to boost fossil fuel pollution and give yet another series of tax cuts

0:30:10

to Big Oil when they've had been making record profits and why because our colleagues across the aisle are upset that President Biden is taking actions that respond to those who are being the most impacted by global climate change

0:30:27

and that he's is doing things that we need to do to address the impact the so-called energy week was on then it was off now it's back on because we need to fill the time as my colleagues have mentioned these bills are taking chunks

0:30:43

from the bill hr1 the polluters over people act and attempting to pass them again so let's get into these repeat bills we're here to talk about today HR 11121 would prevent the president from placing a ban unracking unless

0:30:59

authorized by Congress even if there's a public health emergency let's be clear this is just another political messaging more political messaging and one we've already seen before in the hr1 this bill ignores the significant

0:31:16

serious consequences of fracking for nearby communities fracking is used both onshore and off to extract both oil and gas and it has been linked to pre-term births high-risk pregnancies asthma migraines fatigue respiratory symptoms skin disorders and

0:31:36

more toxic practing fluid can pollute groundwater turning drinking water brown with unidentifiable toxic pollution over 10 years ago Congress found that oil and gas companies used in their fracking fluids nearly 30 different chemicals known to cause

0:31:54

cancer and other health risks but due to loopholes in the Safe Drinking Water Act fracing remains primarily unregulated at the federal level this leaves a patchwork of state laws with varying degrees of community protections some

0:32:09

states have begun to require companies to disclose what's in their toxic fracking fluids but even in those States companies often can claim it's confidential or proprietary and get out of the disclosure and the extent of the

0:32:23

damage fracking can cause is still unknown this Republican could have massive consequences for public health and the environment fracking releases methane and extremely potent greenhouse gas with leakage rates as high as 9% potentially

0:32:41

making fra gas worse for the climate than coal and that's without even getting into harmful pollution enabled by fracking for oil including offshore I urge all my colleagues to oppose HR 11121 the president needs the authority

0:32:58

to act to protect the American people the other Bill we're here to talk about today HR 609 uh introduced by my natural resources colleague representative bobart would withdraw a proposed rule at the department of the Interior

0:33:13

regulating oil and gas on Federal Land the proposed rule will Implement reforms that Democrats enacted in the inflation reduction act and it will Implement a few other long-standing priorities like holding compan is better accountable for

0:33:29

cleaning up after themselves through modernized bonding rates the proposed rule includes Common Sense reforms that have been long recommended by the government accountability office and nonpartisan entities like taxpayers for

0:33:43

common sense Republicans call it quote Biden's war on American Energy but with domestic oil and gas production and profits at record highs it's hard to see how big oil is suffering it's past time to commit to reforms to protect

0:34:00

taxpayers and the environment what we're talking about is modestly ring the royalty rates from 125% to 16 and 23 to compare that to States Texas royaly rates are up to 25% and in the bill sponsors home state of Colorado they're at

0:34:19

20% and to repeat these rates have not impeded domestic production domestic oil and gas production and Prof profits are at record highs and if that's not enough these companies continue price gouging at to gouging the consumer and we talked

0:34:39

about EVS I just want to make the point and by the way the notice or proposed rule making is not the final rule making and there's been a lot of input to what we will hear tomorrow but EV save an average of $5,000 on fuel over 5 years for the driver

0:34:58

and five three years ago we lagged China in both EV and Battery manufacturing and now we are back leading the world a place I want to be and we've also created 200,000 jobs it's bothersome that these polluters these extremely profitable

0:35:17

corporations are pushing for tax handouts more tax handouts they're the last industry that needs it I post HR 11121 and hr6 o9 and urge all my colleagues to oppose them thank you and I yield back Mr chairman thank you con

0:35:34

ran Dingle uh Mr star I have a question for you regarding orphan uh orphan mines on um BLM lands how how does this legislation prevent the US taxpayer from having to pay for these uh or orphan Wells uh thanks for the question I can

0:35:50

tell you that that uh a company can't simply uh walk away uh from uh from their orphan Wells and and um if they go bankrupt it doesn't stop there the BLM has a process they will follow uh the rightful owners from from the the last

0:36:10

uh uh producers to the very first producer on the lease that's why you'll see on the Secretary of interior they've only identified 37 Wells on all BLM lands and um I think they're doing a good job of that they're making sure

0:36:26

that that they can that that if there is a the responsible party uh is held financially responsible to you know uh close those Wells and I think that the important part to remember uh on you know the overall the overall concept of this is

0:36:44

it's working right now uh and this Administration is is uh these rules in fact are not necessary uh it's proven uh that they're not necessary by by just the 37 orphan Wells on the federal lands thanks Mr stabber uh chairman Duncan and

0:37:00

we know in the 2020 election uh then candidate Joe Biden made a lot of anti-fracking comments uh I've got a list of quotes I'll just list off a few of them he said regarding fracking that we would quote we would make sure it's

0:37:12

eliminated end quote uh he also has a famous quote of saying that we will quote phase it out uh also a quote saying that he was against any and I quote new fracking we know time and time again the Biden Administration has waged

0:37:25

a war on American Energy particularly LNG we could go through a litany but the most recent version of this this attack on American energy is the ban on LNG exports would you like to just describe how that hurts our energy production how

0:37:39

it hurts the American worker the impacts it has on the American economy as well absolutely well you know the my colleagues on the that side of the aisle are pointing to um this increased production and profitability for American Energy

0:37:56

producers but I can't point to a single initiative of the B Administration that actually helped increase production of oil and gas in the country actually it's been the adverse with the methane rule the methane tax proposal what the EPA is

0:38:10

doing the LG export ban all of these things have been anti-energy production um for American Producers and if we continue down this road and ultimately Democrats had their way ban fracking in this country which has actually helped

0:38:26

us achieve that uh that level of production that's made us a world leader then we will be relying on China we'll be relying on Russia we will be relying on Venezuela will'll be relying on Iran and other oligarchs and cartel members

0:38:40

from across the globe instead of being a leader once again meeting all of our energy needs and becoming a net exporter again there is energy poverty in this world and the United States can lead on LG export uh to help lower energy

0:38:54

poverty increase the the standard of living and quality of life for people around the globe through cleaner burning us produce natural gas that produced through hydraulic fracturing in places like the Marcela shell in your home

0:39:06

state or in places like North Dakota during the Obama years when there was another attack on production on Federal Land both onshore and offshore and and we saw at this Administration the fewest lease sales proposed in the next 5year

0:39:19

plan than in the history of the nation so how is that pro-american energy production that's not but during the Obama Administration where we saw jobs being created and American Energy being produced it was on State and private

0:39:32

land it wasn't on Federal Land it was through hydraulic fracturing and places like North Dakota's Bach and shell that revolutionized energy production in this country so America leading in energy production through hydraulic fracturing

0:39:45

we can lead the world and we can also be a better exporter exporting more cleaner burning us produce natural gas to help our friends and allies in Europe less than their dependence on Russia uh to help folks in Africa improve their

0:39:58

quality of life to help places like Vietnam get off of coal and convert to LG natural gas energy production and lower their carbon emissions it's a win-win for the globe thanks Mr Don with that I like to yield at the ranking

0:40:13

member well thank you and it's wonderful to see all of you appear um uh uh I think Mr Duncan um you know we have heard over and over um from your side about how awful the Biden Administration is and how support and all these bills

0:40:28

that you're bringing before us are and I think the last time you were here uh was to testify about uh the unlocking our domestic LG potential act I that's I think it was HR 7176 if I'm if I'm correct and my understanding is that as I as has been

0:40:49

said by me and by some of the others who testified here on the Democratic side that that a lot of what we're some of much of what we're considering today was included in the Republicans bill hr1 um which I assume that was the top priority

0:41:03

because hr1 that's the the the first bill out of the out of the gate um and I assume um that you would like the the Senate to pass these bills right absolutely and uh and and has the Senate acted on any these bills yet to your

0:41:23

knowledge not my yeah so I I raised this question because last week um uh we had a we I was we had a on the house floor I talked about uh you know how I was criticizing the um sensor Congress resolution that was being brought up on the border um

0:41:45

basically saying that it it didn't have the it didn't do anything I mean you pass a sense of Congress resolution and it stays in the house it doesn't even go to the Senate and it doesn't have the impact of law that you actually had to

0:41:56

pass a uh an HR uh for it to to be to become law um and um but I I would say you know these two bills the lngg bill and hr1 if if if they are such big priorities of of my Republican friends then [Music] um you know why haven't you sent them to

0:42:19

the Senate they haven't even be sent they haven't been sent to the Senate I mean the hr1 uh was passed almost a year ago and it hasn't been so it haven't been sent to the Senate um I the speaker just hasn't delivered them even on the l&g

0:42:34

bill um I mean like I said the house passed hr1 over a year ago and it's just been and and the Republicans in the house have just been sitting on it um I mean it's almost as if Republican the Republican leadership is trying to play

0:42:50

hideand-seek with the Senate you know um and I mean I I think if if these bills are of such importance that then why hasn't the Republicans why why haven't you guys sent it to the senate for it to even be considered that'd be a question for

0:43:08

leadership and uh I'm not in leadership but um I would be willing to bet that when Democrats controlled the house there were bills that weren't transmitted to the senate i yeah and that happens every so once once in a

0:43:20

while every Cong but but not like this I mean in fact I have a whole list of bills uh that you guys have passed that you say your top PR priorities that have been not been sent over the Senate from hr1 to uh you know the HR 1163

0:43:33

protecting taxpayers and victims of unemployed fraud act to HR 3799 I mean I go right down the list including I mean we you made a big deal about impeaching secretary my orcus and that hasn't been sent over to the senate for their

0:43:46

consideration yet I mean I can can you promise US that the bills that you are bringing before us today if they're passed that they will they'll be sent over to the Senate like I said that's a question for leadership you know Mr McGovern I used

0:44:01

to sell real estate for a living and um if I had 100 Acre track of land there were only so many buyers that could buy a whole 100 acres but I could take that 100 acres and cut it into 1001 acre tracks or 10 10 acre tracks and I had

0:44:16

more buyers for that sometimes you have to break a parcel up in order to get the pieces passed or the pieces sold in the case of real estate so this doesn't change the fact that Congress must act to advance the policies in HR 1023 for

0:44:32

example because time's running out to stop theepa from wasting taxpayer money and raising taxes on Americans so the time is now that's why you're seeing this broke up and brought up separately but to build on your analogy you're not

0:44:42

even let letting the buyers in the door I mean you're not sending anything over to the Senate um and um I mean again I mean we're blaming you're blaming Biden for everything I mean I don't know maybe maybe Joe is Joe Biden asking the speaker not to send

0:44:57

your priorities over to the Senate I'm I'm trying to figure out like how he could be blamed for the fact that all I mean hr1 the top priority of my Republican friends is you know has not been sent over to Senate still sitting

0:45:11

on the speaker's desk I mean I I when I ask you n's consent to insert all these bills that my friends like to talk about that are still that are stuck here the sen doesn't even have an opportunity to to consider them because they haven't

0:45:26

been sent over there yet without objection yeah I I just I I just point that out I just find it you know ironic that you know we we we people come before the rules committee and they talk about how you know how Biden's stopping

0:45:40

this Biden stopping that Biden stopping this but hr1 um is not over the Senate not because of Joe Biden but because of you guys so with that I yield back thank you ranking member i' like to yield to the gentle lady from Minnesota thank you Mr chair and I

0:45:56

appreciate all of you being here today um but uh Mr stabber uh just I had a couple of questions about uh about your your legislation and uh the Biden administration's statement on Administration policy for this bill claims that it is unnecessary because

0:46:13

neither the president nor the Secretary of the Interior has proposed a moratorium on fracking um why do you why do you think it's necessary uh you know we have to watch what uh Biden does not just what he says uh he said on the campaign trail that he

0:46:32

was there was no more new fracking that was end quote and so we want to make sure that uh he doesn't continue to devastate uh our uh the energy that America can produce and and quite frankly um in in a recent uh District

0:46:50

Court ruling um in in quotes in um uh it says Congress has not delegated the department of interior the authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing the blm's effort to do so through the fracking rule is in excess of its statutory

0:47:05

Authority and contrary to law end quote again uh I we have to uh in make sure that uh that policies don't come forward uh that will um you know uh cause energy crisis uh or energy cost to increase and and I think that as we

0:47:27

you know as we move forward especially with this Administration we have to look uh not what they say but what they do they'll say one thing and absolutely do another thing we we we we've seen it in in our energy production and we've also

0:47:42

seen it our critical mineral production so again this this is needed to ensure that this president or other presidents don't have the ability to make the decision thank you Mr St moving to hr6 69 um why are the preference criteria

0:48:00

for off for onshore oil and gas leasing proposed in the regulation problematic so the preference uh criteria is is they're looking at it generally as uh only leases in areas that have traditionally uh been um um you know produced the oil and gas and what

0:48:20

happens is uh we know through U this Administration that they're they're extending the uh the preference criteria out in areas to um uh limit the uh opportunity to um you know drill for oil and gas or uh in hydraulic fracturing um the the

0:48:44

preference criteria is is is put forth it's very vague um and it can be used to actually stop production they can they can uh obviously this Administration uh will will who uh will do what they can to stop production the preference

0:49:01

criteria it describes almost it could describe almost any uh Federal acreage um the way that it's defined and um uh I think it's going to open the B up to even more litigation and so um it would force the BLM to to to to give

0:49:18

preference to lands with even uh high potential for development and I think this is a mistake and we need more exploration in in new areas to find new reserves um there's new technology out there that will give us this opportunity

0:49:33

and um I think the preference uh criteria is uh is something that uh is really concerning and and good example representative is a perum Bas and um in the in starting in the 1970s we thought the production was over right and now

0:49:48

look what the fracturing has done look what the the the technology has given us more uh barrels per day and I think that uh that this this rule by the BM BLM the preference criteria is is can be really disastrous and used as a weapon against

0:50:05

future energy production well thank you thank you Mr stobber and and I appreciate it I support the bills that we're bringing forward today and with that I yield back thank you thank you like to yield my fellow Pennsylvanian thank you

0:50:20

chairman um you know it's it's concerning that once again we're here with sort of a message rule with some bills that do not appear like they're likely to fly what is it four Pro polluter bills and two non-binding resolutions and it's most distressing

0:50:38

because we're hearing a really misguided message that sustainability and growth are at odds I that sustainability and energy Independence and good prices for American consumers are at odds because if you look at the data right now that's

0:50:54

clearly not the case the real underlying message here is that our Republican colleagues are hellbent on rolling back the inflation reduction act which was um is a hugely important piece of legislation relating to climate rescue

0:51:10

most important um environmental legislation we've seen in decades the tax credits lending programs public private Partnerships um created by that act are unlocking billions of dollars of investment in electric vehicles Renewables energ production and

0:51:27

improvements to the energy grid so that combined with the infrastructure investment and jobs act proves that these kind of Investments public and private are good for both the climate and the economy as we've heard repeatedly from both sides here today us

0:51:44

oil and gas production are at record levels for better or worse and um oil and gas corporations are reaping record profits um that doesn't relieve us of the obligation to make sure that we have a climate and environment that we can pass on to next

0:52:03

Generations um we're really I'm really concerned hr10 23 would cut funding for two of the major programs under the inflation reduction act to reduce pollution and lower carbon emissions HR 60009 would make it easier for oil and

0:52:17

gas companies to exploit public lands while at the same time reducing their obligation to clean up the mess that they make and HR HR 9 87 is another sort of garden variety let's denounce anything the Biden Administration does

0:52:32

so I don't see much in the way of useful legislation here I'm very concerned about the attempts to roll back the inflation reduction acts environmental rescue PR um program so um I think there's some big problems with with the

0:52:47

messaging bills that we're seeing here is there anything you wanted to add Mr tonco much has been said about uh the methane measure toh be seen as a tax on the industry um look it seems like there's an opportunity today to avoid

0:53:09

retrofitting the system to avoid the waste but it's cheaper to allow for the waste and um I think it's important for us to take proven Technologies and take the suite of incentives that are part of the inflation reduction Act made

0:53:25

available to the fossil based industry to fix the problem you know there's a talk about them having to pay for that waste you avoid that payment by using the incentives and fixing the system and not allowing for a very dangerous

0:53:42

release of methane now there is a tax currently if you want to look at it from a consumer perspective they pay now for the waste that they never realize as a product and so that waste through either flaring or leakage is being paid for so we're

0:54:04

just saying use this Suite of incentives make it work for the industry make it work for the consumer make it work for the planet and so this messaging here is a fear tactic when in fact there is somebody paying that burden right now

0:54:19

and it's your consumers my consumers across the country I I think that's an important point that that the use of these various products is not penalty-free um someone's going to pay whether it's the consumer whether it's people who don't

0:54:37

have access to clean water depending on which which of the um initiatives were talking about people who don't have access to clean air um so yeah congresswoman scandin I would point out too that the industry itself has imposed

0:54:52

some improvements upon themselves making commitments to make certain they respond to the uh to the uh the climate needs to the the pollution that is being realized so there is that proven technology they're acknowledging by set setting a

0:55:07

higher standard we're just saying here are the incentives fix the system avoid the waste and don't have the consumer continue to pay as they are today and I think we ignore the will of um our younger Generations um who are adamant

0:55:23

that we need to do better on protecting the environment that they're going to that they would like to live with um so thank you I yield back thank you I'd like to yield to the gentleman from Kentucky for any questions he may have Mr Duncan or Mr

0:55:39

stalber do you have anything you want to add I will just say that U they they talk about you know the the big energy comp companies Etc um I I think that uh the big energy companies love when the Democrats are in control cuz they make the biggest

0:55:58

profits when the former Administration was uh in the White House on average a187 a gallon of gas in Minnesota's 8th congressional district it's over $3 now so those energy companies love the policies that are coming out of this

0:56:16

Administration and I think I I think we have to understand this representative that we we have the ability to lead the world we have to have the political will to do it and we do it better than anybody and I think my colleagues on the

0:56:30

other side of of the aisle agree with this we want to use American Technology American jobs American resources we have the ability we have to have the political will to do it and when we the barrel of oils the barrel of oil that we

0:56:47

get out of the Gulf of Mexico is 41% cleaner than anywhere in the world why wouldn't we share that opportunity with the world and our allies I yield just want to say I think this legislation is good legislation it supports an all of the above energy plan

0:57:06

for America which is what we should be pursuing and not trying to put our finger on the scales here and there um and with that are you'll back thank you pleas you recognize the Gent lady from New Mexico thank you so much Mr chair

0:57:19

and thank you so much for testifying uh representative Duncan if the bipartisan uh security supplemental appropriation Bill were brought to the floor of which we are hopeful that it does would you vote for it I haven't seen the bill uh to read it

0:57:36

tell you whether I'd vote for it or not we definitely look at it yeah so it's in the Senate it's you know we've all read a lot about it but one of the reasons that's probably why I haven't seen it since it's in the Senate because in the Senate

0:57:48

uh one of the reasons I asked that is I I appreciated your comments and concern about our European allies and the need to bring down uh natural gas prices and to help out our European allies and to help out with uh you know that the

0:58:03

volatile energy market and the reality is that Russia's invasion of Ukraine created a volatility in the energy markets that led to a 42% increase in energy costs it led to gasoline costing a148 more than it did before the war and the fact that so

0:58:31

I think that when we have those in the house who are pushing back against providing support to Ukraine it's just wrong because that Russia invasion and what Putin has done has not been good for anybody with regards to Energy

0:58:53

prices and it's that volatility in the energy prices is that I think you know there's lots of different reasons why we should support our allies in our democracies against Putin a dictator authoritarian and lots of awful things

0:59:05

but that's one of them and it just struck me when you were sort of expressing your support for helping our European allies but I wanted to also touch on this concept that uh we need to do this now because of oil and gas oil

0:59:19

and gas production is at its highest levels and it could be at its highest levels and also having some of the highest levels of profit uh and I'm from New Mexico so when we have high oil and gas production it's actually good for us

0:59:37

right but at the same time in New Mexico we are very concerned about how do we improve the health and safety of especially the workers because when there's a lot of methane emissions you know the workers are the ones who are

0:59:50

breathing that uh but it's also a resource that we are losing if it it is not being captured and so we actually adopted some of the most forward-looking methane regulations in the United States and you know what happened with oil and

1:00:07

gas Productions when we increased uh methane regulations are you aware of what happened in New Mexico I'm not dumming yeah guess what oil and gas production R up it shows that regulating for the climate and regulating for oil and gas does not

1:00:26

necessarily reduce production and uh are you supportive of uh capturing methane emissions I am and I think the uh industry's done a phenomenal job in addressing methane uh they're not flaring as much they're actually capturing much and using it and

1:00:46

I I thank you for that because that's exactly what the industry itself says is that they believe that reduction of methane emissions is essential and they actually welcome Reg ations to do that and I'm very uh you know concerned

1:01:01

because of the fact that we have so much methane emissions going on and uh Mr chairman I'd like to enter into the record seek unanimous consent to enter into the record the article us oil and gas system emissions from nearly 1

1:01:14

million aeral site measurements without that objection and the short article that's a nice long study done by Stanford the shorter article describing it which is US Energy industry methan emissions are triple what government

1:01:28

thinks without objection uh and I'm I'm I'm thankful Mr stabo are you in favor of capturing methane emissions from Productions I'll respond the same way as representative Duncan I agree I'm sorry what I'll respond the same uh way as

1:01:44

representative Duncan I agree he said it very well okay and and I think that's really great and what I would suggest that we do is actually uh I have an amendment um that I seeking to actually encourage and help P pursue that methane

1:02:00

reduction because it shows this study shows that there are actually not that many SES that are responsible for about half of methane emissions and that we could really bring down global warming by doing some of this lwh hanging fruit

1:02:16

and so I would hope that you would also be supportive of amendments which encourage that kind of methane reduction I see it's such a powerful argument that I'm even my I'm even losing my uh uh my label but uh because you know I was out you know I

1:02:33

I go out in my district I go out and when I meet with my producers uh they are in favor of methane uh reduction uh tools and so that's why you know I'm I'm looking for support for that kind of sensible regulation that brings down

1:02:48

Greenhouse GES that builds on the inflation reduction act because we know it's not always sensible uh uh representative Dingle we had some comments earlier about U bonding and that we really don't have much of a problem with regards to uh oil and gas

1:03:04

producers who sometimes walk away from their obligations I actually carried a bill um to uh address the orphan RS and we ended up with about $4 billion doar in the inflation reduction act to address the fact that way too many uh

1:03:19

producers had walked away from their obligations to clean up their mess uh and so the taxpayer was left holding the bag can you respond to some of the comments with regards to the problems around bonding and their adequacy I

1:03:32

would be happy to we have heard the Republicans say that boundary reform isn't needed to make sure the oil and gas industry cleans up its own mess saying that BLM has identified only 37 orphan Wells but that's not the complete

1:03:46

picture an unplugged well can sit idled or even abandoned for many many years before a federal agency seeks to enforce Reclamation requirements and finally declare it officially orphan the pro that process eat up valuable

1:04:00

staff time and resources but in that time these unplugged Wells can leak oil and gas creating environmental and public health hazards regardless of whether they've been officially deemed and orphaned or not and we're talking

1:04:14

huge numbers in 2019 nonpartisan GAO identified 2,294 unplugged Wells that have not produced in over 10 years the oil and gas industry should pay to plug and remediate those walls not the American people thank you for pointing that out

1:04:33

in New Mexico alone we've done a new mapping and we've showed that there are 2391 currently documented orphan wells in our state alone and in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and in other places this is a big problem and so we cannot hide

1:04:49

the fact uh that there are those there are those who want to be responsible like when I met with Chevron there like we want to be right we want to do right uh but there are so many others who walk away from their obligations um so thank

1:05:04

you for pointing that I the last little thing that I'm concerned about and I'll let you Mr uh representative tonko address the fact that the These funds that want to be slashed who are the people who most benefit from uh the the

1:05:19

the funds that that that would get cut that would get cut sure certainly the uh rural communities and uh in lower income communities neighborhoods of color oftentimes who are impacted by these emissions um I think it's important for

1:05:36

us to recognize that we can do a lot to improve their quality of life their their public health is responded to with a measure like that inflation reduction act you know there's also talk um if I can address an earlier statement about

1:05:50

Technologies and reaching to other countries to respond to our needs there are provisions within the inflation reduction act that require that build America by America Provisions are applicable across the board to these

1:06:05

projects so you know for many reasons I think the uh efforts here are counterproductive to you know addressing the industry itself because to your point there are benefits that come with them uh this is waste for them also but

1:06:20

uh also comes to benefits for our consumers and those in special certain territories and geographies um and um also the planet benefits you know one of the wonderful things about all of the things that we were talking about there including the

1:06:35

inflation is they actually create good paying jobs right when we build more pipeline to capture the methane that can power big rigs and that can you know create electricity for our companies we're actually creating jobs for people

1:06:51

who are working in the oral patch who have those skills that we can actually have those good paying jobs when we plug those orphan Wells we are creating jobs we have a lot of new rigs now that actually are plugging Rigs and those are

1:07:05

good paining jobs and so I think that we need to Le recognize that this is like a win-win right it's a win for the environment it's a win for the economy it's a win for the workers who do this work and I know representative Dingle

1:07:18

you know that we many of these are also union workers and and so we are talking about stuff that is good for America and for American workers is that correct that's that's correct we we've created more than 200,000 jobs just on EVs and

1:07:35

batteries so and we're creating more and more we want to bring those jobs home I'm not going to let China beat us at anything I want us to stay at the Forefront of innovation and Technology I you know I'm not old but I'm seasoned I

1:07:47

remember the 70s when we lost to Japan for a decade because we weren't ready for the small car market we can't Leed our leadership again and this is these policies that are we are pushing forward are protecting jobs bringing jobs home

1:08:01

we want to build them here we want to lead the global market right and because we can do something better here we should do it here we should build it here and we should clean it up here with our own workers and thank you and with that I yield

1:08:17

back thank thank all of you coming today uh Mr star do you have something you wanted to add yeah thank you very much I I just want to make clear that the majority of Orphan Wells are on State and private lands and this BLM rule this

1:08:34

regulation is only for BLM lands um we you can't call an abandoned well orphan unless it's determined there is no responsible party and the Bureau of Land Management does a very good job at finding the responsible party because

1:08:49

they can reach back to anyone through the chain of custody and a couple of other things that that I I just want to point out that you know these these proposed BLM regs they would have an outsize effect on small operators and hurt small

1:09:04

businesses the bottom line is the current bonding levels work The Operators are not asking for a reduction but the rule would increase bonding levels making it very hard for small operators to continue producing without actually resulting in more

1:09:21

cleanup and and these RS could quite possibly put smaller operators out of business and then there may be more orend Wells under this regulation so I just think that that uh we have uh we have uh put forth or the BLM proposed

1:09:39

regulation is is not uh may have good intentions but it's not the it's not good not the right legislation and I think it will be devastating and and used inappropriately in many ways and uh I yield you know you you've heard the

1:09:54

inflation reduction Act was so effective U as linger Fernandez have you talked to any of your car dealers in New Mexico about how the electric car subsid has worked out you know uh I think that what's really interesting is that there is always

1:10:14

going to be a moment as the market as as the market and demand uh catch up to each other and that's the whole purpose of why we did the inflation reduction Act is so we could actually spur interest now you know and so I think

1:10:27

that yes I have talked to some of our car dealers they came and visited me a couple of months ago and they were very yeah they were very interested in in multiplying the possibility and they saw the subsidies as something that would

1:10:42

allow a greater group of people who might be interested in buying the vehicles to be able to access them especially because we need to remember the inflation reduction act allowed for tax credits not just for new vehicles

1:10:57

for but for used vehicles which I think is a recognition that you want to broaden uh the market well I'd be interested in any of your dealers that says once the subsidies run out that they they're stocking they're buying new

1:11:10

new electric cars uh everybody everybody I've talked to in the Fifth District uh they're sitting on the Lots in fact we've got one dealer Roger Williams who serves with us he's having a burial is burying a electric car because because it's been such a

1:11:26

boondoggle so you know you inflation reduction it provided jobs uh as long as the subsidies ran out and then is in Williams case it's providing a job for those who are digging the hole and burying the car that's cost them a lot

1:11:40

of money Mr Duncan you want to comment on that yeah I mean the inflation reduction act basically pick winners and losers in the marketplace because the Democrats had this idea and still have this idea that electric vehicles are the

1:11:52

way to go um my constituents disagree your constituents disagree because there is no Market in South Carolina and many many many other states for very many electric vehicles but yet the bid Administration wants to make every new

1:12:06

uh vehicle produced uh to be an EV uh I'd like to respond to some of the things that my colleague from New Mexico has mentioned she mentioned Ukraine you know Energy prices were already going up in America before Putin invaded Ukraine

1:12:21

and there was an adjustment in the marketplace due to volatility and uncertainty across the globe but it it leveled out the Europeans had a reality check and that they were so relying on one country Russia an adversarial

1:12:35

country for the majority of their energy primarily natural gas and in that reality check um they had to do some drastic things the first thing they did is they looked West the United States to export more LG to help uh meet it

1:12:49

because Putin cut the pipeline off and then they negotiated with countries like Norway that built a pipeline under the North Sea to Poland in one year's time imagine building a pipeline in this country in one year's time I love pipelines I'm

1:13:04

glad you mentioned pipelines for moving methane I'm all for building more pipelines and building out a a true pipeline infrastructure in this country so that resources are produced can be delivered utilized and then exported

1:13:16

there are four key words to energy produce those resources here at home in great States like New Mexico deliver those resources through pipelines primarily because are the safest mode of transportation for either liquid fuels

1:13:28

or gas and then utilize those resources to produce electricity and lower cost for Americans and then export that LNG to help our friends and allies that you mentioned so well in Ukraine and other places with cleaner burning us produced

1:13:41

natural gas that is a win for the globe and it lowers carbon emissions across the globe and so we talked about industry capturing methane sure they did because that's a resource that they were having to flare off for safety reasons

1:14:01

but once the technology came about that they were able to capture that flare gas and utilize it to run their physical plant on site to help lower their energy cost using the methane to actually help pump more oil and gas out of the ground

1:14:15

that was a win-win for the industry and excess they could turn around and put the pipeline in sale it was a resource that they could make money off of it was a win-win for industry to capture more and they're doing a better job at it

1:14:28

every single day and so I think you mentioned Ukraine I think any Ukraine help um would come about through Congress if this Administration and this Congress will get serious about securing our Southern border and the and the

1:14:43

immigration crisis we have there so um I think the gentleman from South Carolina I yell back well you uh you know there's talk about the um you know China uh get with President Biden and say let's let's stop the balloons flying

1:15:00

over this country unfettered let's talk about uh you know the the things we're dependent on with China we're not winning with China we're losing with China and let's talk about that in this EPA um Green Bank program $27 billion do

1:15:15

allocated to the green bank that comes from hardworking Americans you know I haven't I've never seen a taxpayer dollar that Democrats either didn't want to spend or giveaway and this is a huge giveaway program you're taking 27

1:15:29

billion out of taxpayers pocket and there's no guarantee that some of that money won't go to China for some of their grand initiatives we had hearings where EPA uh officials could not say that none of this money would go to

1:15:41

China $27 billion and they funnel it to nonprofits for eligible issue uh uses that include fundraising employee wages soliciting gifts paying strategic advisors that's hardly saving Americans money this program is basically an EPA hosted conduit to drisk D

1:15:59

decarbonization policies otherwise cannot get financing it's time to claw that money back save taxpayers money lower the budget uh deficit that we have and have some accountability in it there is no accountability in this program

1:16:12

once the money is given by the EPA to these nonprofits um there's no accountability on epa's part I think we ought to be better stewards of taxpayer dollars and if if I wish everyone here could have heard heard the governor of

1:16:26

Alaska talking about how the Biden Administration is crippling Alaska with these same regulations uh they're canceling oil leases they're crippling a country I mean a a Alaskan economy that was Second To None yall want to comment

1:16:41

on that well the Biden policies they're required by law to issue a five-year plan for oil and gas leasing on the Intercontinental shelf and in that 5-year plan that the B Administration out has the fewer number of lease sales proposed over the next 5

1:16:58

years than ever in the history of this country that's how they're further crippling the United States and within that 5-year plan there is no new oil and gas leases off the coast of Alaska there is no new oil and gas leases in the

1:17:10

Atlantic there are other places we have resources that we ought to look hard at M Dober Mr Norman the uh the uh state of Alaska has more sanctions on their energy production 54 more sanctions put on them by the Biden Administration

1:17:27

than the Biden Administration has put on Iran and the seriousness of this Mr Duncan you mentioned the invasion at the border when the Cyber attack occurs and they shut down our electricity it's not if it's when we're dependent and I guess

1:17:42

my friends on the other side of the aisle just do not think that we're dependent on OPEC countries for our oil and natural gas and we've got a 100-year supply here we've got a 100e supply and when it's shut down what are we going to

1:17:53

do what's going to be the answer be energy independent it's not happening under this Administration now methane is he still going after cows and goats and for methane last I heard he was yes he's going after cows and goats for methane I

1:18:09

know Al Gore thought that well that's Insanity of this just like the electric cars are Insanity just like I we You' you've heard all of our Lives home building is the um is the Bell weather of the economy South Carolina has people moving

1:18:26

there from all over that are fleeing the policies the liberal policies are not working in New York they're not working in California they're not working in Oregon we've got to slow down in housing you know why paying gas gas prices gas

1:18:39

delivers everything that goes into a single family or commercial building and we in South Carolina which have got a a abundance of people coming that we can't build affordable housing so I wish my friends on the opposite side the aisle

1:18:54

would get with their president and uh try to get some sanity back get energy independent for the safety of this country and the solvency of this country uh and if we can't do that then we're going to end up paying a huge price for

1:19:06

it thank you all for appearing and u i y back chair I'll be brief thank you guys for for appearing um uh Mr Duncan uh isn't this just a tax on the American people yes uh does it make sense to tax the American people and then complain about

1:19:29

needing to have Federal subsidies to help people who you know low lower income folks who can't afford can't afford their power and electricity it makes no sense to me uh does this uh uh help or or hurt China it helps China

1:19:45

does this bill help or hurt China this bill would hurt China hurt China and help us right yes yeah uh like I I'm trying to keep things in pretty basic form um we we are uh taxing the engine of economic prosperity for the United

1:20:03

States we are taxing the American people this legislation by Republicans is an attempt to stop radical Progressive Democrats from continuing to tax hardworking Americans hardworking American families increase their power

1:20:15

bills uh make us more beholden to China none of which and this will anything in under our current law uh uh and anything that we're doing uh do will it not continue to perpetuate the fact that China is increasing exponentially their production of uh

1:20:36

greenhouse gas emissions uh China's building new Coal fire power plan every 30 to 60 days um their greenhouse gas emissions are increasing um as they are across the globe because now we have a a pause on LG exports um that would help benefit

1:20:55

folks from all over the globe at the same time China has most of the rare earth minerals uh across the globe they have rights to it they're mining it and they're doing it in a very environmentally insensitive way Nobody

1:21:08

Does it Better than than United States from an environmental standpoint but yet we've seen this Administration last Democrat Administration uh continue to take uh those areas where we have the rare Earths that we could mine in this

1:21:21

country uh off the table for uh Mining and production and we're seeing in Mr saber's uh state where they want to stop copper mining well if you think about copper copper is needed for winding electric motors copper is needed for

1:21:34

transmission of electricity copper is a valuable resource in the production of Steel but if we're going to end the copper mining then we're going to ultimately end steel production in this country and that weakens America Would

1:21:47

we not do more for the environment by incre increasing uh natural gas production uh and and uh have the environmental impact of electrifying every vehicle in the United States putting solar on every household in America and adding 54,000 industrial

1:22:03

scale windmills uh if you replace Coal Power for example with American LNG is that the rough equivalent because that's what I have as quote from eqt Corp CEO Toby rice in other words our move to natural gas was dramatically

1:22:16

reducing the production of greenhouse gases right and this country was leading the world and this this president comes in in and has a fullscale assault on natural gas production the one thing that was actually dramatically changing

1:22:30

and turning around greenhouse gas production and all we're trying to do frankly is Dent that with this bill in order to peel back part of what the inflation reduction Act is doing in terms of propping up and subsidizing by

1:22:43

the way 90% of the subsidies going to billion dollar corporations gentleman agree I agree with you um I I'll I'll yield to the Gent from New York or I'll I'll yield time back but I I I would just say I appreciate the legislation it it

1:23:02

escapes any logic or common sense for a nation such as we are a nation to undermine its own Prosperity its own Economic Security its own National Security deferring that National Security to one of our sworn enemies China undermine the ability of

1:23:24

the American people to prosper all in the name of a singular supposed objective which is reduction of greenhouse gases and pursuit of a climate agenda which if you look at the evidence would have a minimal impact at best a

1:23:42

minimal impact at best so what are we trying to do as Republicans try to say guys perhaps we could refocus our efforts reopen up American Natural Gas ensure that we can do that in a way that will help benefit American families

1:23:54

while making our economy strong while making a stronger National Security perspective and oh by the way if you really want to get rid of CO2 production then double down on nuclear production but if we're going to keep producing

1:24:05

windmill farms and solar Farms polluting the entire landscape with this stuff that you then have to dig holes and then bury this crap because you can't actually undermine you can't get rid of it while you're using mountains of

1:24:16

fossil fuels to produce them in the first place which is what we're doing and then we pretend we're not doing it while we decimate our own economy so I I appreciate the gentlemen this is a frankly a very minor step that we

1:24:31

should take relative to completely reversing the damage being created by my Democratic colleagues with the so-called inflation reduction act undermining our own National Security and economic security so I support the legislation I

1:24:41

appreciate the gentlemen coming forward now you'll back uh representative Duncan I'd like to revisit for a moment the $27 billion slush fund known as the greenhouse gas reduction fund that has uh been included in the inflation reduction act uh

1:24:59

representative Duncan what happens when this $27 billion fund runs out well first off none of it will be returned to the hardworking American taxpayer and any proceeds proceeds generated by the fund are kept by the entities that who

1:25:12

receive the funds so nothing nothing goes back to the taxpayer that's amazing I I I think representative Duncan you and I can probably agree that uh we need an energy sector that's Market driven as possible possible where cleaner more

1:25:25

efficient Energy Technologies developed thanks ultimately to Market forces uh would you agree with that I agree with that and does a greenhouse gas reduction Fund in your view help or hinder a more Innovative efficient and ultimately

1:25:38

cleaner future that's built on the forces and demands of the market so no um first off the EPA doesn't have the capacity nor the expertise they're not a bank they're not a financial institution they don't have the expertise to manage

1:25:52

27 billion do greenhouse gas fund additionally it's outside the scope of their mission epa's mission is protect the health and the environment not facilitate Capital formation so the green uh bank at the EPA is an example of central planning a

1:26:07

government controlled economy in which the federal government picks the technology that succeed and those that fail the best way to reduce emissions is by encouraging private sector Innovation and doing what the gentleman from Texas just talked

1:26:22

about empowering the natural gas sector in this country thank you I'd also like to turn for a moment to the natural gas tax uh which estimates uh estimates expect will result in a green house gas emissions reduction of 2.6% uh representative Duncan can you

1:26:41

once more remind us here today with China building coal plants at record Pace what sort of a dent in the global greenhouse gas uh emissions will this 2.6% reduction thanks to the Natural Gas tax really have so if China continues on

1:26:59

Pace there's nothing we can do here in this country by taxing Americans or taxing U American manufacturers and oil gas industry nothing we're going to do is change Global carbon emissions at all thank you and I want would like to also

1:27:14

point out to my colleagues who stand by this 2.6% reduction as some sort of win uh that it was our nation's Embrace of natural gas that has led to enormous reduction in carbon dioxide emissions some estimates by over 60% over the last

1:27:30

30 years uh now I'd like to turn to the uh protecting American energy production Act and the restoring American Energy dominance act for a moment here this legislation HR 1121 is of particular relevance to me as a New Yorker here

1:27:45

today uh my district sits at top the marcelis shell uh with natural reserves natural gas reserves that rival that of Saudi Arabia in terms of oil Not only would tapping into this Shale be an enormous Boon for American energy

1:28:00

production energy dominance and energy Independence but it would provide an economic Renaissance to the communities in my district and a lot of that's also happened in neighboring states that have tapped into those reserves um but

1:28:13

instead Democrats in Albany and here in Washington cow Towing to a woke mob they banned major hydraulic fracturing the kind of resource extraction that would create thousands of new jobs and lift communities in my district some of the

1:28:25

poorest counties in all of New York uh and elsewhere up from poverty uh the remaining oil and natural gas producers left in my district and elsewhere Upstate are largely small scale but they persevere even though through a barrage

1:28:39

of state and federal regulations they are built for one purpose only to regulate them out of business eliminating jobs and Economic Opportunity in the process and we've seen this leftwing nightmare play out in New York state and my constituents have

1:28:54

felt the economic cost and many have left for other states uh you know some of the states that are also represented on this dis right now um now representative Duncan bottom line if the Biden administration were to implement a

1:29:06

nationwide moratorium on hydraulic fracturing what do you Invision the economic consequence would be to communities across this country well first off there' be dire for the oil and gas communities but also the communities

1:29:19

that uh are across the country that are supplied with the energy sources from those um production areas thank you thank you and now turning to HR uh 6009 the restoring American Energy dominance act my colleagues on the other side of the

1:29:34

aisle have insisted that blocking the Bureau of Land Management's proposed rule entitled fluid mineral leases and leasing processes would prevent this country from reaching its climate goals now representative stalber which which

1:29:48

country currently dominates the market for much of our world's mineral extraction China and uh can you remind us which country is building more coal power plants at a faster rate than ever before is it us or is it China the communist

1:30:03

country of China and if I may add if I may add I want this community to understand that we can be energy dominant and mineral dominant if we have the right leadership Minnesota has the most mineral wealth of any state in our nation with the exception of

1:30:25

Alaska and as I stated the Biden Administration has put more sanctions on the production of energy in Alaska 54 than they have the country of Iran we have the ability to to to do it and do it right and I know we're not talking

1:30:41

about mineral extraction but you brought it up uh representative Minnesota has the biggest untapped copper nickel find in the world and this Administration removed the leases and in fact ban 225,000 Acres from us being able to mine it ethically and

1:31:01

responsibly and it's unconscionable that we have to fight this Administration for good paying jobs and mineral security and a yield well thank you very much for for that important information uh which country has a more rigorous roster Mr stalber of

1:31:19

environmental regulations already on the books when it comes to Resource extraction production and refining all the way down to the supply chain is that us or is that China uh the United States has the the the the best uh uh opportunities to extract this

1:31:34

environmentally uh friendly and with the best labor laws and finally can you remind us once more will this proposed rule help ensure a future that is more dependent on China or less dependent when it comes to sourcing minerals and

1:31:47

other natural resources this will help us become less dependent on the communist country of China now thank you representative stal this administration's policies as they relate to our natural resources our energy potential and our national security

1:31:59

they're not Progressive they are an environmentally conscious they are downright idiotic uh the fact is this reducing this country's uh greenhouse gas emissions by 2.6% while making it more difficult to domestically produce

1:32:13

energy and natural resources all white while China pumps buckets of pollution into the air will do absolutely nothing to improve our global environment uh supporting these asset policies is setting up this country in our future

1:32:26

generations for a dangerous costly world where the dream of a cleaner energy future is just at a simple dream I strongly support the legislation before us and Mr chairman I yield back e and I would just encourage that we pay

1:33:41

attention to that in regard to the um the greenhouse gas emission program you know a very large number of applications have been received across several agencies doe Treasury along with EPA and others are utilizing career members of

1:33:57

the office of Grants and Department to make certain that uh with great scrutiny oversight accountability and transparency they're choosing the applicants from a field that will leverage from the 27 billion far more dollars from the private sector that

1:34:12

enable us to address cleanup of uh of our environmental um and e all yeah that's the I'd like to welcome our second panel representative Rouser representative Rick Larson from the committee on Transportation infrastructure and

1:35:54

representative Carol Miller from the committee on ways and means as soon as we establish order Mr Rouser you will be recognized and look forward to your testimony ready now well thank you uh Mr chairman and uh ranking member uh all members of the

1:36:18

committee I'm here today in support of HR 7023 the creating confidence in clean water permitting act which I'm proud to sponsor and which was favorably reported from the committee on transportation and infrastructure this past January 31 the

1:36:33

legislation represents a comprehensive package of targeted Common Sense improvements to the permitting processes within the Clean Water Act while continuing to protect water quality the legislation balances regulatory

1:36:46

certainty with Environmental Protection specifically HR 7023 codifies customary permitting practices that have been in practice for decades while closing loopholes that have been created now this bill will ease overbearing

1:37:01

regulatory requirements protect good actors against frivolous lawsuits and increase transparency all while continuing to provide meaningful clean water protections now in the five decades since its enactment the Clean

1:37:15

Water Act has proven to Be an Effective tool for improving the quality of water bodies throughout the country however as with many things over the course of five decades aides it also requires some modernizations so its regulations can

1:37:27

better apply to current circumstances and continue to balance Environmental Protection with the regulatory flexibility needed we all know time is money and we must ensure that we have a regulatory framework that works to address supply chain challenges

1:37:42

increases American Energy security promotes Commerce avoids bureaucratic quagmires and continues to protect water quality streamlining permitting under the Clean Water Act has been a priority of the transportation and infrastructure

1:37:58

committee and a a particular priority of the subcommittee on water resources and environment which I am chairman and as chairman I've heard of over the course of many hearings about the successes and challenges involved in the Clean Water

1:38:13

Act throughout these conversations one theme has become clear years of weaponization of this law by various administrations and radical activists are negatively impact our economy without providing any additional meaningful Environmental Protection

1:38:29

regulations should be simple to understand and easy to follow which is the which has the added benefit of making them easier to enforce our competitors across the globe care little to nothing about regulatory structure or

1:38:41

P or permitting when they want to do something they just do it now while we certainly do not want to adopt this mentality without regard for Environmental Protections we should not be forced to wait years to build a manufacturing plant new infrastructure

1:38:55

or energy project either these delays give our International competitors a distinct Advantage American innovation and greatness cannot be achieved when rules and regulations meant to balance economic Prosperity with Environmental

1:39:08

Protection are weaponized this legisl so therefore this legislation includes Provisions from bills offered by several members of our committee which are targeted solutions to these permitting challenges and I want to thank committee

1:39:22

members Owens Burleson stalber and dwarte for their work on this for example this bill requires the EPA to bring interested parties to the table when crafting water quality standards which are used for Wastewater discharges

1:39:36

under the nipd uh program this ensures that the opinions of regulated entities are heard alongside those of the bureaucrats Who currently dictate the process the bill also addresses a problem that arose in 2022 when the EPA

1:39:50

allowed an important nipd General permit to last although the general permit was eventually reissued in 2023 this episode raised concerns about how the EPA handles expiring permits given this the legislation before us

1:40:05

today requires the EPA to either reissue expiring General permits or provide at least two years notice if they plan not to reissue another section of the legislation provides certainty to regulated entities and promotes water

1:40:18

water quality by effectively codifying the epa's own long-standing quote permit Shield Feld uh policy which ensures that compliance with an issued nipd permit will protect permit holders from litigation or other enforcement actions

1:40:32

the onus is on the EPA to ensure that permits include all necessary limitations and requirements so that they can be relied upon now this legislation also maintains The epa's veto Authority Under section 404c of the Clean Water Act while ensuring it can

1:40:49

only be used as intended not preemptively uh before anyone has applied for a permit or retroactively after a permit has already been issued although only 14 Vos have ever been issued under this Authority the two most recent vetos have exposed loopholes

1:41:07

in the way the EPA has erroneously read the statute and created chaos in the 404c process another item this bill codifies many longstanding practices for the application of Nationwide permits by the core and provides minor tweaks to the

1:41:22

system to ease permitting burdens the bill also creates clearer standards for judicial review for agencies and permit holders under Section 404 to protect against frivolous lawsuits activist litigation against these permits can delay critical

1:41:38

infrastructure projects for years and can end up costing the taxpayer far more because of it and then finally this bill requires the EPA and Corp to at long last issue public implementation guidance for the definition of waters of the US

1:41:54

uh specific to the postset decision to finally get jurisdictional determinations moving in Project stun so despite what some like to say this bill does not gut the Clean Water Act instead it provides balance between Regulatory

1:42:09

and Environmental Protection by codifying longstanding permitting practices and ensuring Clarity and consistency for federal agencies and those required to obtain permits in doing so we can keep projects on time time as well as on budget all while

1:42:25

maintaining our nation's clean water efforts so with that Mr chairman I'm happy to uh answer any questions moving forward and encourage adoption of the bill sure thanks gentleman gentleman yeld back gentleman from Washington is

1:42:39

recognized for his testimony on the bill thank you Mr chair and the ranking member and thank the full committee for the opportunity to testify on behalf of 7023 um Mr chairman our predecessors in Congress worked in the bipartisan manner

1:42:53

to enact the Clean Water Act One of the nation's Bedrock environmental laws the Pro Clean Water bipartisan consensus has held firm for decades allowing communities to enjoy cleaner water and giving businesses the certainty they

1:43:06

need to create jobs and spur economic growth at that end uh thanks to the historic Investments like the bipartisan infrastructure law and the inflation reduction act our economy is in fact on the Move we've added nearly 15 million

1:43:20

jobs since 2021 and an unemployment has been under 4% for the longest stretch in more than 50 years wages are up inflation is coming down grow and we are growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up that's the context in

1:43:35

which my colleagues have are proposing to really shatter that bipartisan consensus around the Clean Water Act that has existed since its passage this partisan bill will not improve the Clean Water Act project permitting or create

1:43:47

certainty and in fact we'll do the opposite it undermines existing and bipartisan efforts to improve permitting efficiency injecting legal uncertainty with an ill-advised partisan attack on clean water is the last thing our

1:44:00

thriving economy needs according to the statement of administration policy this bill will quote create uncertainty confusion and conflict in permitting processes end quote so what will this bill achieve it weakens Clean Water Act

1:44:15

protections provides legal shields for polluters and slashes oversight for high-risk projects what does this bill do for communities we represent it stifles input on projects that threaten their water this legislation

1:44:27

prioritizes polluters over the public by limiting the opportunity to review and challenge environmentally damaging projects what does this what does this mean uh what does this bill do for clean water nothing good the legislation

1:44:41

recklessly eliminates epa's oversight of ecologically devastating projects epa's use of its Clean Water Act review or veto Authority has been consistent with original intent granted by Congress since the enactment of the Clean Water

1:44:54

Act in 1972 EPA has exercised this Authority only 14 times most recently in relation to large scale mining proposals in Alaska and in West Virginia epa's use of this Authority has been bipartisan EPA used it two times during Democratic

1:45:11

administrations and 12 times during Republican administrations moving this legislation now is an assault on water quality the adverse impacts of the provisions in this bill will be substantial on on their own however enacting additional roll backs is an

1:45:26

extreme choice in the wake of the 2023 sacket ruling by the Supreme Court that restricted the waters subject to any Clean Water Act protections it's estimated that the sack ruling remove protections Nationwide from at least 50%

1:45:41

of wetlands and at least 60% of streams with such a smaller number of waters subject to the Clean Water Act additional L Poes to the process like those proposed in this bill are the the opposite of what Congress needs to do to

1:45:55

be protecting our Water Resources clean water is not an abstract concept what is at stake under this legislation is whether people will have reliable drinkable clean water with which to conduct business recreate carry out

1:46:08

daily tasks and sustain life during consideration of HR 723 transportation and infrastructure committee Democrats sought to lessen the negative impacts of this legislation and require EPA to verify that the changes in this bill

1:46:22

would not not have negative impacts on water quality and availability issues that communities currently face Nationwide unfortunately these improvements were rejected mostly on a Partyline boat if considered if considered in thoughtful oversight of

1:46:36

our nation's Waters and the permitting process of protects these Waters is still a bipartisan goal and the House of Representatives can do far better than taking up HR 7023 I oppose this bill and I urge the rules committee to reject

1:46:49

this measure for Flor consideration with that yeld back gentleman he's back chair thanks and gentlemen chair is now pleased recognize from the ways of needs committee uh representative Miller is this your first time in front of the

1:47:02

rules committee it is I think you will find this a benign and rewarding experience but you are and we' have no clock in the rules committee so you were recognized for whatever time you wish I'm not a long talker thank you chairman

1:47:16

Burgess for having me here today or ranking um I come to the committee in support of a resolution that the house will consider this week it's HC res 86 and it would Express a sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental

1:47:33

to the United States economy this resolution will send a clear message to the American people that we oppose policies that would drive up Energy prices for families and businesses undermine United States energy security

1:47:49

and make Americans more dependent upon China a car carbon tax would be a gift to our adversaries it styes our energy producers ability to provide reliable energy to the grid and exports to our allies it would support China's goal of

1:48:05

dominating and profiting from the manufacturing of green technologies to meet Biden's climate agenda it gives China greater control over US Energy Supply chains in addition the effects on the economy would be detrimental for the

1:48:21

most vulnerable among on us the poor the elderly and those who are living on a fixed income Americans are already suffering from the effects of Biden inflation and his attack on reliable energy like Obama's proposal a common a

1:48:37

carbon tax would increase the price of gasoline natural gas home heating oil and electricity for every single American American families would feel the pain when they buy the gas or the diesel that they need to get to their

1:48:52

jobs to turn on their lights or adjust the thermostat in their homes the burden of a carbon tax will increase the prices of virtually everything that requires the use of energy resources in their production manufacturing transport or

1:49:08

distribution everything from a carton of milk to automobile prices would be affected surgery would be affected a carbon tax would directly harm millions of Americans who are already struggling with runaway prices under Biden's cruy

1:49:22

economy and must budget carefully in advance to afford the necessities of life this resolution makes it clear that we oppose policies that would drive up Energy prices damage the United States economy and reduce Americans GDP and Hur

1:49:39

American jobs everyone wants to live in a clean healthy environment as stewards of our beautiful Earth we would want to leave it better than we found it because of the brilliant innovators in the United States through modernization and

1:49:53

Technology we have the ability to incorporate new energy production with traditional sources Joe Biden is picking winners and losers in the name of climate change this Administration is hellbent on making coal and natural gas

1:50:09

obsolete instead of including them as part of the solution and empowering America's natural resources they want to stifle all energy production that isn't considered renewable the war on traditional energy has been happening

1:50:24

since President Obama was in the white house I have lived this I have lived this in West Virginia by the end of his term America had 83,000 less coal jobs and 400 less coal mines than it did when Barack Obama was elected in 2008 I am committed to

1:50:42

Bringing jobs back to the communities that were destroyed by climate activists and bad policy makers this resolution condemns the Liberals intentions of supporting shutting down American energy production and proposing buying that

1:50:56

same energy from our adversaries who pollute more and have much worse environmental practices than we do because of our Innovations and technological advancements we can unleash American Energy to unforeseen levels while being good stewards of our

1:51:13

natural environment I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that our god-given natural resources remain in the Forefront of Americans energy production while promoting all-encompassing Energy Solutions I thank you and I look forward

1:51:28

to whatever questions you may have thank you M Miller and again welcome for the your first testimony of the rules committee um so I I think that the gist of your comments is this is going to increase energy costs across the board of carbon

1:51:43

tax is that correct correct and who's going to Bear the brunt which which economic stratum is going to Bear the Striking they all will but particularly those people who are living paycheck to paycheck it it's very hard you know

1:51:57

paying your electric bill is one of the first things you have to do yes and if you don't the consequences are severe uh chair recognize Miss gam for any questions she may have thank you so much first of all I agree with some of my

1:52:10

colleagues that we need permitting reform and I think it's an area that's ripe for bipartisan solution and I hope we can work on that issue for the remaining time that we have in this Congress um however permitting reform

1:52:23

shouldn't be synonymous with making it easier for companies to pollute again Challen I think our challenge is to promote both sustainability and a strong economy unlike the legislation proposed here I don't think that Congress should

1:52:38

push policies that allow companies to cut corners and avoid responsibility for the environmental damages that they cause time and again we've seen the Republican energy agenda means putting polluters in their profits over regular

1:52:50

people I have spent my entire life living alongside major US waterways and have seen firsthand the improvements to health environmental business and recreational um water quality and I think it would be a mistake to back down from that um when

1:53:09

we still have challenges to overcome the southern border of my district is the Delaware River um storm water and other issues um continue to make that um body of water not suitable for recreational and other uses and so I think we do have

1:53:25

more more work to do and with respect to the carbon tax issue it's it's odd to see our Republican colleagues taking a strong stand against it they control the floor of the house if they don't like the idea of a carbon tax they shouldn't

1:53:39

move legislation that would create one and adding to this a carbon tax has traditionally been a bipartisan Proposal with support from many conservatives so I'm not quite sure where that's going um but Mr lson um can you was there

1:53:55

anything else you wanted to add with respect to the Clean Water Act Bill well in a little bit of difference to my colleague uh the committee really works in a bipartisan way uh and a lot of things the the changes to the Clean

1:54:10

Water Act is not one of them um our view is that it is uh over the last 50 years it has been uh the tool to ensure um clean water for communities uh it's always tends to be the downstream communities that end up being harmed by

1:54:26

um by uh By changes in the Clean Water Act uh we are still sorting out the um impacts of the sacket decision uh as well uh from last year it it seems both very early to begin um making changes to the Clean Water Act uh when we're still

1:54:42

sorting those those issues out as well as um uh taking steps as I've outlined to to undermine what has largely been byar support for an independent Authority that the EPA has in many ways and so um that's why we're recommending

1:54:59

a no we're also recommending a no because of the uh we had opportunities to have um amendments uh in committee they failed that's fine but we also had opportunities to have amendments brought here and maybe for the floor looking at

1:55:12

um uh impacts on uh um pregnant women looking at impacts on children uh looking at impacts in Downstream communities um um all of which you know we certainly hope are made in order but uh um I'm not sure that'll be our

1:55:28

that'll be our our choice to have those made in order okay well obviously would support that thank you I yield back gent y back chair thanks gent L and gentlemen from Kentucky is recognized gentleman has no questions a gentle lady from New Mexico is

1:55:44

recognized thank you very very much Mr chair and thank you uh for your presentations and I I I think I'm really struck uh uh when can member by the issue of the bipartisanship with regards to the Clean Water Act and I think when

1:55:57

you all have come before this committee you know they have been bipartisan bills I mean the FAA reauthorization you had a lot of uh you know bipartisan support for what you were doing and when we think of clean water I mean we have a

1:56:10

saying in New Mexico a VA and it's true everywhere water is life right and and if we don't work on protecting that uh because every Community whether it's a rural community in every state is going to rely on that clean water and and so I

1:56:25

I I share with you my the the concern uh and and as an example I think about uh people who both want to have clean water and then enjoy it like we have a lot of Anglers uh who who want to make sure that their streams and their are clean

1:56:41

and one of the concerns I have is would these would this spill impact the ability uh to regulate uh Mining Company uh Rat and eent that might go into um our streams and and rivers I get back to the committee fully on that but the bill does um uh

1:57:02

does uh interfere with the epa's independent decisions on two projects in particular one that I know very well the pebble Mine in Alaska um that uh if if it goes if if it were to go through um would heavily impact uh the Bristol Bay um Sakai fish

1:57:22

F which is the single most sustainable fishery in in the United States uh creates thousands of jobs supports thousands of jobs already and endangering the Bristol Bay um the the rivers and the tributaries that serve Bristol Bay endangering those for the

1:57:42

sake of one mine doesn't make a lot of economic sense much less environmental sense and so uh for that reason and other reasons we're recommending um um no on sending this build the floor thank you and I think this isue of you know

1:57:57

the the the very large commercial operations like uh the the salmon and throughout throughout the Pacific Northwest you see those issues in my uh District uh we have a beautiful river called the peus river uh which has taken

1:58:11

took years to clean up uh and uh which we are still fighting to make sure that we do not have it we polluted so I think that you find these examples uh across uh a districts across uh the country and with that I yield back gentle lady

1:58:27

yields back chair thanks gentle lady chair recogniz gent lady from Minnesota I have no question gentle lady has no questions the gentleman from South Carolina is recognized gentem has no questions the gentleman from New York is

1:58:40

recognized that seems like a trend here but uh I'd like to just pivot for a moment to discuss H conres 86 representative Miller can you remind us once uh more today who will be impacted the if the bid Administration and the

1:58:53

Democrats here in Washington impose the carbon tax and will it be the wealthier Americans or will be those on low and fixed incomes oh absolutely those in the lower end of the economy they're the ones that will be struggling I mean with

1:59:06

with the inflation that we have right now that people love to call B inflation prices of everything have gone up you know we're we're spending probably $750 a month more now than we have in the past just to make ends meet and this

1:59:21

does nothing but raise it even higher now thank you can you remind us where would these folks these working-class Americans low-income Americans and retired Americans on fixed incomes where would they feel this carbon tax the

1:59:35

most well in their pocketbook because in order to pay their electric bills um it again it'll be very hard for them to make ends meet and and who stands to benefit the most from this imposition of the carbon tax I mean that's what's

1:59:49

the well it most ly the people that are pushing the green energy as well as China um the fact that they could even qualify for some of our taxes um appulse me that our money would actually go to China and give them relief for carbon

2:00:08

tax you know credits thank you very much representative biller and and I have no further questions gent he's back chair thanks and gentlemen I do have one follow-up question for Miss Miller so this will affect people who earn under

2:00:21

400,00 a year oh absolutely we told that they're excluded from a tax increase but they actually will be hit with a tax increase we need to continue to use our good solid energy that we are used to from our natural resources in order to

2:00:40

keep our Baseel load grid healthy and continue with our innovation of learning how to get better as we go along very well seeing no other members uh wishing to ask questions this panel I want to thank you for your participation this panel is excused and

2:00:56

congratulations on a successful start to your career of the rules committee disappointed again and again I have to tell you I'm not in charge of you I that's that I'm afraid of like I just ate a lot uh chair would call Mr Graves to the

2:01:54

uh witness table if you're here representative Graves 10 minutes for a full Professor not a full Professor okay Mr Graves if the staff would stop talking to Mr Graves and let him come in thank Mr Graves welcome to the rules

2:02:26

committee recognize to speak on your amendments thank you Mr chairman um Mr chairman we have uh we have two amendments one of them is offered to to three different bills uh it is legislation that passed out of the house natural resources committee on on a

2:02:41

bipartisan vote um and it's called The Bridge act and so what it does is it it actually requires that lease sales be resumed for energy production uh because those lease sales have been have been stopped the United States is is is

2:02:59

effectively seeding energy superiority or energy oh see you wanted to hear me um got it um do I need to start over or no we good okay um um is is is actually seeding energy superiority or energy leadership to other countries by the decision to to to

2:03:21

stop uh leasing energy areas uh that are available in the United States um and so you know I'll say it again this legislation we've we've filed this amendment to to three uh different well I guess technically four different bills

2:03:34

which is uh 1023 1121 69 and 7023 I believe we may have a a gerus issue on the last one but on the other three bills um that uh we we we have filed it and um would love to see this bill excuse me this amendment be made in order I'll say it again

2:03:52

um the bill passed that of the house natural resources committee it did have bipartisan support um the bill is a revenue generator um as determined by the Congressional budget office um and the house natural resources committee

2:04:06

has has issued it a report on it and I know that chairman Westerman is is supportive so that's the that's the first one um and that one's called the bridge act the uh the second one is an amendment uh to the uh to the Clean

2:04:19

Water Act Bill and um and what it does is is you may recall Mr chairman that that under the inflation reduction act the the Congressional budget office did an assessment on the overall cost of the legislation um and and they they they

2:04:34

set a figure and and Goldman and others have come in since that time and estimated that the Congressional budget office scores may be off by a by a factor of three or even four um as you know Mr chairman members of Congress

2:04:50

when they make votes they at least give some credibility to the Congressional budget office in terms of understanding what it is that they're voting for and the cost of that legislation and and if they're off by a factor of three or even

2:05:03

four uh that's significant and let's keep in mind uh these are taxpayer dollars that are being implicated through additional subsidies uh so what our legislation does keep in mind the underlying Bill the underlying Bill establishes an expedited regulatory

2:05:18

process in the Clean Water Act for different types of projects one of those types of projects is transmission projects so what our bill does is it simply says when you hit that projected cost that the Congressional budget

2:05:31

office cited that they calculated that this expedited process would no longer apply specifically to linear transmission projects uh one of the many types of projects that this bill um provides an expedited uh regulatory process for so those are the two

2:05:46

amendments uh I certainly would appreciate you all's support and happy to answer any questions that you have sure thanks witness Mr Graves uh you've done such a great job I have no questions recognize the ranking member

2:06:00

when I when I saw you at the Garden Club reception I promised thatd be nice so I will have no questions the G leer from Indiana has recognized for questions thank you Mr chairman uh thank you uh to representative Graves for your

2:06:14

leadership on these two very important amendments that you've brought to the committee I I understand that um representative Garber has worked on uh cyber security uh pretty stringently are there any cyber security concerns or

2:06:29

protocols that we need to be uh concerned about with respect to um either the underlying bill or the Amendments included yeah well look I I understand um the the first of all the seriousness of cyber security and and and the threats posed there um and I

2:06:46

know that that chairman gabino has done a great job in leadership role in um and and and trying to make sure that the America that America is prepared for uh some of the attacks increase the attacks that we're seeing while while this

2:07:00

second Bill the Clean Water Act Bill does apply uh to linear transmission um we we don't think that there's anything here that would have any adverse impact on on the cyber security preparation efforts and certainly congressman

2:07:13

garbino is uh is is a leader on the on the protocols and and and I'm sure that he will continue to be but I think that I don't think anything we do here has a has an adverse impact on that thank you I yeld back chair thanks G lady G lady yelds

2:07:28

back chair recognizes the Gent from Pennsylvania gentle lady has no questions the gentleman from New York is recognized for questions the gentleman from New York has no questions and another lady from New Mexico thank you

2:07:41

Mr chair and I think I shall honor my ranking memb commitment to be nice to Mr grav today so uh you know we Democrats we stick together well I hope that you stick together with Miss pela today and uh and support the bridge act yeah uh I

2:07:56

I would note that probably it was bipartisan every other Democrat voted against it but you are correct and and despite that we still hold out hope for all of you thank you chair thanks the gentle lady GLE lady yields back um seeing no other

2:08:12

members wishing to ask questions the witness is excused thank you Mr chairman Mr chairman yes can I ask you unanimous consent to submit to the statements from representative Shulton and Jackson Lee in support of their amendments to HR

2:08:27

7023 without objection so ordered this time the uh chair is going to recess subject to the call oh is there anyone else wishing to testify on HR 1023 HR 1121 HR 69 HR 723 or hcon res 86 seeing none this closes the hearing portion without objection

2:08:55

the committee stands in recess subject to the call of the chair don't go very far e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e thank you Mr chairman I appreciate it I oh e e committee will committee on rules will

2:40:52

reconvene the chair will be receed of a motion from the gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr russan dollar thank you Mr chairman I move the committee Grant HR 1023 The Cutting green corporate uh corruption and taxes act as a closed

2:41:03

rule a rule waves All Points of order against consideration of the bill the rule provides an amendment in the nature of the substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee print 118 uh Tac 26 shall be considered as adopted and the

2:41:16

bill as amended shall be considered as read the rule waves All Points of order against Provisions in the bill as amended the rule provides 1 hour of General debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on

2:41:26

Energy and Commerce or their respective designes the rule provides one motion to recommit the rule further provides for consideration of HR 1121 the protecting American energy production act under a closed rule the rule waves All Points of

2:41:39

order against consideration of the bill the rule provides that the bill shall be considered as red the rule waves All Points of order against Provisions in the bill the rule provides 1 hour of General debate equal equally divided and

2:41:49

controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on natural resources or their respective design the rule provides one motion to recommit the rule further provides for consideration of HR 609 the uh restoring

2:42:01

American Energy dominance act under a closed rule the rule waves All Points of order against consideration in the bill the rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on natural resources

2:42:11

now printed in this bill shall be considered as adopted and the bill as amended shall be considered as read the rule waves All Points of order against Provisions in the bill as amended the rule provides one hour of General debate

2:42:21

equally divided and control by the chair en raike minority member on the committee natural resource resources or their respective design the rule provides one motion to recommit the rule further provides for consideration of

2:42:31

hcon res 86 expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy under a closed rule the rule provides the rule waves All Points of order against consideration of the concurrent

2:42:44

resolution the rule provides that the concurrent resolution shall be considered as red the rule waves all points of order against Provisions in the concurrent resolution the role provides one hour of General debate equally divided and controlled by the

2:42:54

chair and ranking minority member of the committee on Ways and Means or their respective designes the rule provides for further the rule further provides for consideration of hres 987 denouncing the harmful anti-American energy

2:43:07

policies of the Biden Administration and for other purposes under a closed rule the rule provides that upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order uh without intervention of any point of order to consider age r as 987 the rule

2:43:20

provides of the resolution shall be considered as read the rule provides 1 hour of General debate equally divided and control by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective

2:43:29

designes the role provides for consideration of HR 7023 the creating confidence in clean water permitting act under a structured rule the rule waves All Points of order against consideration of the bill the rule provides for one hour general debate

2:43:43

equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on Transportation infrastructure or their respective designes the rule provides that an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules

2:43:54

Committee print 118 Tac 25 shall be considered as adopted and the bill as amended shall be considered as read the rule provides All Points of order against Provisions in the bill as amended the rule makes an order only those amendments printed in the rules

2:44:08

committee report each Amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report may be offered only by a member designated in the report shall be considered as read shall be debatable for the time specified in the report

2:44:18

equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent shall be shall not be subject to Amendment and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question all points of order against the Amendments printed in the

2:44:30

rules committee report are waved finally the rule provides one motion to recommit thank you very much you've now heard the motion is there any discussion or Amendment to the rule yeah Mr chairman um and I the gentleman from

2:44:44

Pennsylvania just you know read a long rule here but as I understand it and correct me if I'm wrong um there's six bills here and five of the bills are being brought forward under a completely closed rule is that your understanding of it

2:44:59

yeah it's like Russia um in any event I have a I have an amendment to the rule I move the committee make uh in order amendment number 19 to HR 723 offered by representative Glen Camp Perez which prohibits implementation of this uh of

2:45:14

this bill until it is shown that it will not result in discharges that have adverse effects on shellfish aquacultures and Coastal Fisheries Mr chair this amendment provides important protections for critical coastal Industries that are dependent on having

2:45:28

clean and safe Waters and streams I urge you yes vote on my motion and I yield back you heard the amendment is there any further discussion on the amendment hearing none the question is on the amendment all those in favor will

2:45:41

signify by saying I I those opposed say no no opinion of the chair the NOS have it is not agreed to for a roll call please roll call is uh requested the clerk will call a roll Mr Burgess Burgess vots no Mr Burgess no Mr

2:45:59

Russen thaler no Mr Russen thaler no Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Massie no Mr Massie no Mr Norman no Mr Norman no Mr Roy no Mr Roy no Mrs hch no Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Langworthy no Mr McGovern yes Mr McGovern I miss scanland

2:46:22

I miss scanland I Mr nus Miss Ledger Fernandez Miss Ledger Fernand as I Mr Cole the clerk will report the total three y eight nay so the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to are there further amendments yes Mr chairman I

2:46:41

have an amendment to the rule the lady will state her amendment I move the committee making order amendments 2 and 4 to8 HR 7023 offered by representative Shulton and Ryan respectively Amendment two prohibits implementation of this

2:46:56

bill until it shown that it will not result in discharge that may have adverse effects on the health of children or infants Amendment four requires a determination Before the bill can take effect that its Provisions will not result in an increase in the

2:47:10

discharge of pollutants Mr chair the house should be able to vote on these two important amendments that prevent the bill from taking effect if any pollutant discharges will hurt children or infants or if this bill will cause an

2:47:23

increase in the discharge of dangerous forever chemicals like past so I urge I yes on my motion and I yield back any further discussion on the amendment if not the question is on the amendment all those in favor will signify by saying I I all those oppose

2:47:42

say no no any of the chair the NOS have it has not agreed to request a vote a recorded vote is requested the clerk will call a roll Mr Burgess Burgess votes no Mr Burgess no Mr Russen thaler Mr Russen thaler no Mrs fishbach Mrs

2:47:58

fishbach no Mr Massie no Mr Massie no Mr Norman no Mr Norman no Mr Roy no Mr Roy no Mrs howchin no Mrs howchin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Langworthy no Mr McGovern I Mr McGovern I miss scanland I miss scanland I Mr nus Miss Ledger

2:48:17

Fernandez Miss Ledger fern and as I Mr chairman C report the totals three yay eight Nays no have it the amendment is not agreed to is there a further discussion or Amendment Mr chairman I have an amendment to the r gentle ladies

2:48:32

recognized I move the committee make an order amendment number 2 to HR 1121 offered by myself which requires the Secretary of the Interior to certify that at least 99% of the methane released from the production of oil and

2:48:44

gas from hydraulic factoring on Federal Land is and will continue to be captured Before the bill can go into effect when I talk with oil and gas operators in New Mexico they tell me that they want to reduce methane emissions we know that

2:48:57

during the production process too much methane is lost because of old leaking infrastructure flaring events and so much more that methane doesn't just hurt the environment or the workers it also represents lost economic value HR 1121

2:49:10

fails to acknowledge the need to reduce methane pollution my Amendment would simply make sure that an expansion of fracking on Federal Land doesn't lead to to increase methane pollution and make sure that oil and gas operators invest

2:49:22

in the technology and resources needed to capture excess methane rather than pass partisan legislation let's work together as we heard earlier tonight people support the capturing of methane let's make sure we put it to good use

2:49:35

and with that I urge my colleagues to vote Yes on this amendment you've heard the amendment is there any further discussion on the amendment hearing none the question is on the amendment all those in favor signify by saying I I those oppose say

2:49:48

no no opinion of the chair the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed to recorded V is requested the clerk will call the rooll Mr Burgess Burgess votes no Mr Burgess no Mr Russian thaler Mr Russian thaler no Mrs fishbach Mrs

2:50:02

fishbach no Mr Massie Mr Massie no Mr Norman Mr Norman no Mr Roy Mr Roy no Mrs howchin Mrs howchin no Mr Langworthy no Mr Langworthy no Mr McGovern yes Mr McGovern I miss scanland I miss scanland I Mr nus Miss Ledger Mr nus I miss

2:50:24

Ledger Fernandez Miss Ledger Fernandez I Mr Cole cler will report the total four yays eight Nays and the those have it the amendment is not agreed to Mr chair iuss uh I move the committee to make an order amendment number 14 to HR 7023

2:50:42

offered by representative Porter which provides that the bill cannot take effect until it's determined that nothing in the ACT will cause C an increase in pollutants in the Colorado River Basin which provides clean drinking water to Colorado River Basin

2:50:55

States and tribal communities in the Western United States Mr chair this critical Amendment prevents the bill from taking effect if it will cause more pollution in the Colorado River Basin which provides life sustaining drinking

2:51:08

water to Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico Utah and Wyoming for all the Committees and people of these states who know that AWA is that water is life I urge a yes vote on my motion and I yield back is there any further

2:51:25

discussion on the amendment hearing none the question is on the amendment all those in favor by signify by saying I I those opposed say no no opinion of the chair the NOS have it record vote is requested according to the clerk will

2:51:37

call a ro Mr Burgess Burgess votes no Mr Burgess no Mr Russen thaler Mr Russen thaler no Mrs fishbach no Mrs fishbach no Mr Massie no Mr Massie no Mr Norman Mr Norman no Mr Roy no Mr Roy no Mrs howchin Mrs hin no Mr Langworthy no Mr

2:51:55

Langworthy no Mr McGovern I Mr McGovern I miss scanland miss scanland I Mr nus Mr nus I miss Ledger Fernandez Miss Ledger Fernandez I Mr Cole the clerk will report the total four yay eight the NOS have it the amendment is not agreed

2:52:12

to is there any further discussion or Amendment see none hearing no requests for further amendments question is on the motion to report all those in FA favor signify by saying I I I all those opposed say no no opinion the chair the eyes have it the

2:52:30

question is agreed to we ask for a roll call please roll call is requested according to the clerk will call a rooll Mr Burgess Burgess votes I Mr Burgess I Mr Russen thaler Mr Russen thaler I Mrs fishbach Mrs fishbach I Mr Massie Mr

2:52:45

Massie I Mr Norman Mr Norman I Mr Roy hi Mr Roy I Mrs howchin hi Mrs hin I Mr Langworthy hi Mr Langworthy I Mr McGovern no Mr mcover no Miss scanland no Miss scanland no Mr nus Mr nus no Miss Ledger Fernandez no Miss Ledger Fernandez no Mr

2:53:06

Cole C report total eight yays four nay have it motion the motion to report is agreed to accordingly Mr raler will be managing the rule for the majority and Miss scanland will handle it for the Democrats all Pennsylvania got it and

2:53:23

without objection the committee stands [Music] Jed

Key Points

Chat with Gemini

U.S. House Committee:

Rules

Title:

Rules Committee Hearing H.R. 1023, 1121, 6009, 7023, H. Con. Res. 86, H. Res. 987

Date:

Mar 20, 2024

Overview:

The House Rules Committee held a hearing regarding five bills and two resolutions focused on American energy independence, environmental regulations, and the Clean Water Act. The hearing featured testimony from members of the Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Ways and Means Committees. The debate centered on the role of the federal government in regulating the energy sector, particularly the use of fossil fuels versus renewable sources, and the impacts on the economy and environment.

Energy Independence Debate: H.R. 1023, 1121, 6009, 7023

The hearing centered on five bills aimed at promoting American energy independence. Republicans argued that President Biden's energy policies have hindered domestic energy production, leading to higher prices and increased reliance on foreign adversaries. Democrats countered that the Biden Administration has actually increased energy production and that Republican proposals would benefit big oil companies at the expense of the environment and public health.

Cutting Green Corruption and Taxes Act (H.R. 1023)

This bill repeals the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the natural gas tax, both established by Democrats as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Republicans contend these provisions are wasteful, promote corruption, and increase energy costs for Americans. Democrats argue they will reduce pollution, lower the deficit, and leverage private sector investment in clean energy.

Protecting American Energy Production Act (H.R. 1121)

This legislation prevents the president from unilaterally declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, a process that Republicans argue is crucial for energy independence and job creation. Democrats oppose the bill, citing concerns about fracking's impacts on public health and the environment.

Restoring American Energy Dominance Act (H.R. 6009)

This bill eliminates a proposed Bureau of Land Management rule that would increase fees for oil and gas production on federal lands. Republicans argue the rule will stifle energy production and harm small businesses. Democrats defend the rule, emphasizing the need to protect taxpayers and the environment.

Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act (H.R. 7023)

This measure aims to streamline and clarify the permitting process under the Clean Water Act. Republicans assert that the bill will reduce regulatory burdens and promote economic growth while maintaining environmental protections. Democrats contend the bill weakens environmental protections and prioritizes polluters over public health.

Carbon Tax Opposition: H. Con. Res. 86

This resolution expresses a sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy. Republicans argue that a carbon tax would drive up energy prices for families and businesses, make Americans more dependent on China, and hurt the most vulnerable segments of society. Democrats support a carbon tax, viewing it as a necessary measure to address climate change.

Amendment: Bridge Act

An amendment was offered to several bills, requiring the resumption of lease sales for energy production. The amendment was supported by Republicans and opposed by Democrats. The amendment was ultimately not agreed to.

Closed Rule and Motion to Report

The Rules Committee voted to proceed with a closed rule for each of the five bills and two resolutions, limiting debate and amendments. The committee also voted to report the measures to the House floor.

Amendments: Health and Environmental Protections

Two amendments were offered to H.R. 7023, requiring determinations that the bill would not negatively impact the health of children and infants, nor cause an increase in pollutant discharges. The amendments were supported by Democrats and opposed by Republicans. The amendments were ultimately not agreed to.

Amendment: Methane Reduction

An amendment was offered to H.R. 1121, requiring the Secretary of the Interior to certify that 99% of methane released from oil and gas production on federal lands is captured. The amendment was supported by Democrats and opposed by Republicans. The amendment was ultimately not agreed to.

Amendment: Colorado River Basin Protection

An amendment was offered to H.R. 7023, prohibiting the bill's implementation until it is determined that it will not cause an increase in pollutants in the Colorado River Basin. The amendment was supported by Democrats and opposed by Republicans. The amendment was ultimately not agreed to.