The House of Representatives passed a major GOP energy bill Thursday meant to counter President Joe Biden’s energy agenda and increase domestic production.
Lawmakers voted 225-204, mostly along party lines, Thursday to approve H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. The bill won't become law as it is opposed by the Senate Democratic majority and President Joe Biden has vowed to veto it, but it will aid Republicans in messaging on the campaign trail and provide a basis for negotiations between the party on shared interests such as overhauling permitting for energy infrastructure projects.
HERE'S WHAT'S IN HR 1, THE GOP LEGISLATION TO COUNTER BIDEN'S ENERGY AGENDA
It is the first major product to come out of multiple GOP-led committees since the party regained control of the House in the November 2022 midterm elections. It would undo key aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act, including doing away with the bill's methane-reduction provision for major greenhouse gas emitters and a $27 billion EPA program designed to spur investments in low- and zero-carbon projects.
Republicans argued H.R. 1 would increase U.S. energy independence by increasing domestic production, speeding up the permitting process for energy projects and infrastructure, and boosting the production and processing of critical minerals, among other things.
The legislation contains provisions aimed at streamlining and accelerating the federal permitting process under the National Environmental Policy Act, the bedrock environmental law many say makes it too hard to approve and build projects.
H.R. 1 would accelerate the federal permitting process for the mining and production of critical minerals, a step considered essential to reshore electric vehicle battery production and build out clean energy supply chains, and includes several provisions aimed at boosting domestic oil and gas production and boosting exports of liquefied natural gas.
It would also require the Interior Department to “immediately” resume quarterly lease sales on federal lands at a rate of a minimum of four lease sales per year in each onshore state with eligible lands.
Other provisions would end the federal moratorium on new coal leasing, prohibit any pause on fracking in the United States, and repeal a methane fee provision passed under Biden that would charge large fossil fuel companies for excess methane emissions.
"We want to lift barriers to expanding our energy supplies, remove red tape over exportation and importation of LNG, and build more pipelines with our North American allies and across the states," House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) said of the legislation.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the House have dubbed the bill as the "Polluters Over People Act," arguing it does nothing to drive down costs for consumers and would instead further pad the pockets of oil and gas producers.
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"This bill is nothing more than a grab bag of Big Oil giveaways and loopholes that endanger the health, safety and security of Americans," Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told reporters.
The Biden administration "strongly opposes" H.R. 1, the White House said Monday. The administration said in a statement that the bill would double the costs of energy efficiency upgrades for families, pad the profits of oil and gas companies, and weaken emissions requirements and investments focused on curbing methane leaks.