Joyce Holds Biden Administration Accountable for Failed Energy Policies

Press Release

Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) announced that he has joined Reps. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Buddy Carter (GA-01) in introducing legislation to hold the Biden Administration accountable for its failed energy policies. The Make Energy Affordable Act would require the Administration to commission a report on the surging energy costs and respond with a plan to combat them. The plan must consider all energy sources, include regulatory and permitting reforms, and monthly updates on how energy prices are impacting the American people.

"Every day I hear from families and businesses across Northeast Ohio who are paying the price of President Biden's failed energy policies," said Joyce. "With Christmas just a couple of days away, gas prices have spiked 56% and the cost for families to heat their homes this winter are expected to rise as much as 54%. Easing the burden of high energy prices and inflation starts with identifying what's causing them, which is why I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Make Energy Affordable Act. By demanding accountability and transparency from this Administration on its ineffective energy policies, we can once again secure America's energy independence and increase access to affordable energy."

On his first day in office, President Biden shut down the Keystone Pipeline, endangering American energy security and killing an estimated 11,000 American jobs. Not long afterwards, in one of his first Executive Orders, the President paused new oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands and waters -- an action estimated to eliminate one million American jobs, decrease U.S. Gross Domestic Product by $700 billion, and increase U.S. oil imports from foreign sources by 2 million barrels a day (causing the U.S. to spend $500 billion more on energy from foreign suppliers through 2030). Most recently, the President released 50 million barrels of oil held in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which was designed to alleviate supply disruptions that come from emergencies, war, and catastrophic weather events.

The Make Energy Affordable Act would require President Biden, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Labor, and several related agencies, to craft a report on the increased cost of energy across the county. The report must include:

how higher energy prices have led to increases in consumer prices across the economy, and how many energy sector jobs have been lost since January 1, 2021;
an assessment of federal actions that contribute to energy prices that must include the specific effects of ending the Keystone XL pipeline, the moratorium on fossil energy development on federal lands, a ban on oil exports, and releases from the SPR;
lists of energy projects awaiting federal permits or approval, and projects requiring state and local action;
analyses and projections for residential and commercial energy prices for the next year;
a description of actions the Federal government is taking now to address the current high energy prices and shortages; and
A plan to address rising energy prices that considers all energy sources, regulatory and permitting reforms, and ensures U.S. energy independence.

Last week, Joyce participated in a roundtable discussion with the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program to learn how the Administration's energy policies are impacting Ohio's energy producers. During the roundtable, Joyce heard from industry experts about the importance of Ohio's natural gas and oil industry, which employs over 208,000 people. The main focus of the roundtable centered around the fact that Ohio's power sector is cleaner, safer and more reliable than ever before, having reduced its carbon emissions by 50 million metric tons each year between 2005 and 2015, which was the biggest reduction of any state in the country.

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