Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Vice Chairman of the House Rules Committee, just spoke on the House Floor in favor of H.R. 1 - the Lower Energy Cost Act.
As Prepared for Delivery:
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the piece of legislation before us today is the culmination of four years of hard work by the members of the Republican Conference. I would like to thank Chairwoman Rodgers and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Duncan for their leadership in bringing this urgent and necessary legislation to the floor.
This larger legislative package includes my legislation, the "Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act.” I am thankful that my fellow Republican Members saw fit to include my legislation as we seek to address the obstacles preventing Americans from enjoying lower energy costs. My bill would streamline the process for the siting and construction of natural gas pipelines so that the entire nation can experience the benefits of this plentiful resource which heats our homes, lights our grills, and powers large swaths of our electrical grid.
H.R. 1 also contains the repeal of Section 50131 of the Inflation Reduction Act, which would provide $1 billion to coerce state and local governments to adopt costly energy codes. If these grants are allowed to stand, they will take away local control over the energy code adoption process and federalize these overreaching mandates.
Efforts to push costly and restrictive energy codes across the country overburden new construction and largely ignore the energy performance of the existing housing stock. New homes built to modern codes are already energy efficient, and further increases in stringency must be carefully considered—that consideration is not encouraged by these grant programs.
Mr. Speaker, the permitting process for any sort of development in this country is irreparably broken. America was once a place where we built things and led the world in innovation. America, thanks to anti-development policies enacted by Democrats, is now a nation where it takes decades to site and construct energy infrastructure projects.
The status quo cannot be allowed to continue, Mr. Speaker. Our adversaries around the world recognize that access to a plentiful and reliable source of energy is a vital national interest. It is well past time that we do the same.
I'm sure our friends across the aisle would like to tout the virtues of their renewable energy projects ushering in a new era of peace and plenty. Yet, their predictions fail to grapple with the tradeoffs associated with renewable energy generation projects. I find it incredibly incoherent that Democrats should advocate for a greater reliance on weather dependent generation resources on the one hand while also arguing that climate change is making weather patterns more unpredictable. That sort of grid management is a recipe for blackouts and an economic disaster.
It is my sincere hope that our Democrat friends walk back from the brink and join us in our pursuit to put American families first by addressing rising energy costs that are punishing their household finances.
Mr. Speaker, Republicans are rejecting the false choice proposed by Democrats that argues we can either be good stewards of the environment or continue to utilize fossil fuels. The American people understand that a dynamic 21st-century economy is underpinned by access to affordable and reliable energy sources. They believe that America should embrace an all-of-the-above energy abundance approach that embraces our country’s vast resources – both traditional oil and gas & renewable.
I thank my colleagues and those who helped get this bill to the floor so we can continue to make good on our promise to put the American people first.
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