House Passes Gosar, Bridenstine, Yoho Amendment Limiting Frivolous and Costly Environmental Lawsuits

Statement

Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after joining House colleagues Representatives Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) and Ted Yoho (R-FL) in passing an amendment that will limit frivolous lawsuits and exorbitant payouts to lawyers that challenge energy projects which have already gone through the environmental process and been issued permits and subsequently attached the amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act:

"Extremist environmental groups have been abusing our legal system and intentionally pushing frivolous lawsuits to shut down important energy production on federal land. Furthermore, these lawsuits engineered by special-interest Washington D.C. lawyers are billing the federal government at exorbitant rates which cost American taxpayers as much as $750 an hour. These bogus environmental organizations are directly threatening the livelihoods of countless American communities that heavily rely on energy production to sustain their livelihoods.

"I'm pleased to see my House colleagues support this commonsense amendment that supports a true all-of-the-above energy strategy and encourages American energy development. A government, accountable to the people, should always seek to ensure proper stewardship of the public's dollar, time and resources. This is a responsible solution that increases transparency and cracks down on overpaid Washington D.C. attorneys and extremist special-interest groups holding-up American energy production."

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