Republicans Introduce Major Reform Package to Restore US Energy Independence

House Republicans on March 14 introduced a new reform package aimed at restoring America’s energy independence, though Democrats have already signaled it will face challenges passing through a divided Congress.

The nearly 200-page bill (pdf), known as H.R. 1 or the “Lower Energy Costs Act,” was initially announced by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) Last week, it was officially announced by House Majority Leader Steve Skise (R.La.).

It is co-sponsored by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Sam Graves (R-Mo.).

The bill—which would scale down environmental regulations and expand oil and gas drilling in an effort to tackle the energy crisis, among other things—will be considered on the House floor at the end of March.

“For the last two years, President Biden and his extremist friends in Washington have waged a war on American energy, and hard-working families across the country are paying the price,” In a statement introducing this bill, Steve Scalise, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, said that.

“I am proud to introduce today H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, to cut red tape and increase energy production here at home so we can lower energy costs and stop our dependence on hostile foreign countries for our energy and minerals. With today’s introduction of the Lower Energy Costs Act, we will show the country how to end the war on American energy, become energy independent again, and lower costs for hard-working families who are struggling under the weight of President Biden’s radical agenda,” said Scalise.

Bill: Key Measures

The bill includes a string of energy policy proposals aimed at increasing fossil fuel production, including fast-tracking fossil fuel projects, expanding oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters, and streamlining and expediting energy infrastructure and exports by reforming the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an environmental rule requiring federal agencies to consider the impacts of their actions on the environment, which is considered sacred by Democrats.

Biden suspended oil and gas lease sales after taking office.

The bill would also boost the domestic production and processing of critical materials that are used in advanced technologies, and cut red-tape regulations to open up pipelines.

The bill also requires more offshore oil and gas lease sales to be held and would ban Biden from declaring a moratorium on the use of fracking unless such a moratorium is authorized by Congress.

The bill also includes a number of other measures, including legislation that was led by 26 individuals and is produced by the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure.

Republicans believe the energy reform package will boost domestic production and reverse Biden’s negative impact. “anti-energy policies,” Save money for Americans at a time where gas prices have soared by more than 40%

Democrats Criticize Bill

Fox News reported that a coalition of 27 organizations, including the conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, has already expressed support for the bill in a written letter addressed to Kevin McCarthy, House Speaker.

Rodgers, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a statement that the bill “boosts energy production, lifts regulatory burdens for the construction of more energy infrastructure, cuts China out of our critical materials supply chains, and lowers costs across the board.”

But, Democrats quickly took aim at the reform package and called it a “scam”. “non-starter in the Senate.”

In a speech delivered on the Senate floor on March 15, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) accused House Republicans of rolling out a “partisan, dead on arrival, and unserious proposal for addressing America’s energy needs that they have laughingly labeled H.R. 1.”

“Republicans’ so-called energy proposal is as bad and as partisan as it gets. H.R. 1 will lock America into the most expensive and volatile dirty sources of energy and will set America back a decade or more in our transition toward clean, affordable energy,” Schumer spoke.

Later, he renamed the bill “a Bill”. “wish list for Big Oil, gutting important environmental safeguards on fossil fuel projects, while doing none of the important permitting reforms that would help bring transmission and clean energy projects online faster.”

Amid the ongoing energy crisis, Republicans’ reform package will likely face challenges among Democrats as the Biden administration continues to focus on advancing clean energy and has canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and drilling leases on public lands.

Biden’s $6.9 trillion fiscal year 2024 budget plan is largely aimed at shoring up clean energy technologies and scrapping billions of dollars in oil and gas industry subsidies.