Reps. Lauren Boebert and Chip Roy Petition to Vote on the Protecting American Energy Jobs Act
Press Release
Today, Representatives Lauren Boebert (CO-03) and Chip Roy (TX-21) led a discharge petition on the House Floor so that Rep. Boebert's H.R. 859, the Protecting American Energy Jobs Act, can receive a vote.
Representative Lauren Boebert stated: "President Biden took away the American people's voice when--with the stroke of a pen--he unilaterally locked-up our federal lands and targeted our energy jobs. Now, Speaker Pelosi is continuing to silence Americans by refusing to bring my bill, the Protecting American Energy Jobs Act, to the House Floor for a vote. This discharge position changes that, and it would require Members of Congress to have an accountable vote on the record for where they stand on Biden's job-killing Green New Deal executive orders."
Congressman Chip Roy stated: "The Biden Administration is willing to sacrifice millions of oil and gas jobs, hike up energy costs, and destroy our energy independence all to appease Green-New-Deal-loving radicals. It's time that Congress put a stop to his unilateral economic destruction and put the American people first. After all House Republicans have signed on to this effort, I look forward to seeing how many of my Democratic colleagues are willing to protect American jobs and energy security."
Background:
Biden's energy executive orders are killing our economy and hurting families across the country. Colorado lost 9,000 jobs in the oil and natural gas industry this past year, and economists project that 201,144 jobs will be lost if we keep President Biden's executive orders in place for 20 years. By the end of his first term, Colorado will lose 16,000 jobs if Congress doesn't stand up and put a halt to these disastrous policies.
Once these jobs are lost, they aren't coming back. Westerners don't believe the lies promising that "high-paying" green energy jobs await us after they close up our industry. This trade is a bad deal. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, solar power technicians make $43,000 and wind turbine technicians make $53,000 annually--these "high paying jobs" pay less than half of what workers in the oil and natural gas industry make already.
Over the next two decades, Biden's federal leasing ban is estimated to result in $639.6 billion in lost GDP, $286 billion in lost wages, $151 billion in lost state tax revenue, and job losses climbing to 343,088 annually in eight western states alone. Additionally, Biden's reckless halting of the Keystone Pipeline is projected to cost more than 70,000 total jobs. Nationally, more than 10 million jobs are supported by oil and gas, and they are all at risk because of Biden's reckless energy policies that put America last.
The Protecting American Energy Jobs Act will change all that by:
Nullifying Biden's job-killing energy executive actions by ensuring Executive Order 13990, Executive Order 14008, and Secretarial Order 3395 have no force or effect;
Prohibiting future unilateral energy and mineral moratoriums by presidents on federal lands and in federal waters and requires Congressional approval for actions that prohibit or delay leases and permits for oil and gas, coal, hard rock and critical minerals;
Prohibiting future unilateral withdrawals of federal lands and federal waters without Congressional approval;
Nullifying the indefinite ban for new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and in federal waters;
Nullifying the revocation of the Presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline; and
Nullifying the moratorium on all oil and natural gas leasing activities in Section 1002 of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an area designated for such activities by Congress.
23 Members of Congress originally co-sponsored Representative Boebert's bill including: Representatives Brian Babin (TX-36), Jim Banks (IN-03), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Jim Baird (IN-04), Mo Brooks (AL-05), Ben Cline (VA-06), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Alex Mooney (WV-02), Tom Emmer (MN-06), Ron Estes (KS-04), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Paul Gosar (AZ-04), H. Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Jody Hice (GA-10), Trent Kelly (MS-01), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Scott Perry (PA-10), Chip Roy (TX-21), Pete Stauber (MN-08), Greg Steube (FL-17), Randy Weber (TX-14), Bruce Westerman (AR-04), and Don Young (AK-At Large).
Supporters of Congressman Boebert's bill include: American Exploration & Mining Association, Arizona Deer Association, AZ BASS Nation, The Arizona Bass Federation, Blake International Rigs, LLC, Caerus Oil and Gas, California Independent Petroleum Association, Citizens Against Government Waste, Colorado Mining Association, Conservatives for Property Rights, Cordilleran Metals Corporation, enCore Energy Corp, Expeditors & Production Services, Golden Vertex Corp, Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Heritage Action, Highland Tellurides Corporation, International Association of Drilling Contractors, International Association of Geophysical Contractors, Less Government, Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, New Mexico Business Coalition, Pharma Safe Industrial Services, Pelican Institute, Platoro West Incorporated, Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity, Rio Grande Foundation, US Oil and Gas Association, Western Energy Alliance, West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association, and Yuma County Water Users' Association.
If the discharge petition receives 218 signatures, the Protecting American Energy Jobs Act can proceed to the House floor for consideration.
Source