Last week was Energy Week in the House, and House Republicans continued our work to push back on Biden's failed energy policies by passing a number of bills including: 

• H.R. 1023 - To repeal section 134 of the Clean Air Act, relating to the greenhouse gas reduction fund, which strikes the Natural Gas Tax imposed by President Biden in the Inflation ‘Expansion’ Act.
• H. Res. 987 - Denouncing the harmful, anti-American energy policies of the Biden administration, which denounces the harmful, anti-American energy policies of the Biden Administration.
• H.R. 1121 - Protecting American Energy Production Act, which prohibits the President from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless Congress authorizes the moratorium. 
• H.R. 6009 - the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act, which requires the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw the proposed rule relating to fluid mineral leases and leasing process.
• H.R. 7023 - Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act, which reforms and restores permitting processes under the Clean Water Act.
• H. Con. Res. 86 - Expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy, which expresses Congressional disapproval of President Biden’s planned carbon tax.

This effort was necessary because before Joe Biden assumed office, the United States achieved energy independence and even became a net exporter of energy. However, as soon Biden took office, his administration launched a comprehensive attack on the American energy sector. This attack included the termination of the Keystone XL pipeline project, which could have provided 830,000 barrels per day of oil from Canada to U.S. refineries. Additionally, the administration announced the cessation of court-ordered offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, along with the delay of thousands of pending Applications for Permits to Drill. These actions, coupled with regulatory burdens, hindered the establishment of new large-scale refineries and disincentivized investment in domestic energy producers.

As a result of these policies, an energy crisis emerged, leading to historic highs in fuel prices. Instead of promoting domestic energy production, President Biden sought assistance from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) to increase oil production. However, OPEC+ responded by reducing production, which exacerbated America's energy crisis.

In an ill-fated attempt to control prices, the Biden Administration tapped into America’s strategic petroleum reserve (SPR), originally intended for emergencies. However, this move not only failed to alleviate energy prices but also compromised national security by depleting the reserve to its lowest level since 1986. Moreover, a portion of the SPR was sold to a Chinese government-owned gas company, further undermining our national interests.

Ultimately, as Americans grappled with soaring gas prices, President Biden's energy policies not only failed to address the crisis but also jeopardized national security and prioritized foreign interests over domestic concerns.

As you may recall, House Republicans passed our signature legislation, H.R. 1 – the Lower Energy Costs Act – in March of 2023. This important legislation would completely reverse course from Joe Biden’s disastrous policies that have destroyed American energy independence and made our country more reliant on foreign energy – and caused folks across the country to struggle from record high prices.

If signed into law, the Lower Energy Costs Act would lower annual energy costs by $795 per household by bringing American energy dominance. This essential bill increases domestic energy production, reverses Biden's anti-energy policies, streamlines energy infrastructure and exports, and boosts the production and processing of critical minerals.

House Republicans are taking action and fighting back against Biden's war on American energy. We must restore American energy dominance.