Denouncing the Harmful, Anti-American Energy Policies of the Biden Administration

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, this resolution is a ridiculous waste of our time. It will do nothing to lower costs for the American people. It will do nothing to grow our economy. It will do nothing to help us continue our goal of leading the world in the clean energy transition. It will do nothing to combat the worsening climate crisis.

This resolution does absolutely nothing. It is nothing more than a long list of fabricated grievances against the Biden administration and against the important work that congressional Democrats have accomplished over the last few years.

It reads as if Republicans just fed their same old dirty energy talking points into ChatGPT and asked it to spit out a resolution.

Instead of focusing on real solutions to bring down energy costs for Americans, House Republicans are working to pass this meaningless resolution that falsely claims the Biden administration is anti- American energy, that that is what their policy is.

Let's look at the facts. The United States is currently producing more energy than ever before in its history. That includes energy from all sources--solar, wind, and, yes, more oil and gas than ever before.

While we are doing this, we are also making incredible progress in addressing carbon emissions and air pollution. Last year, emissions in the United States fell by 2 percent, even as the GDP grew by 2.4 percent.

Why are Republicans complaining? Why are they upset about the fact that we found a way to pursue energy security while also lowering energy costs for American families, boosting our economy, and tackling the worsening climate crisis, all at the same time?

I am going to tell you why--because Republicans don't want anything to stand in the way of their oil and gas friends. They refuse to deviate from their polluters over people agenda, and they are wasting floor time on meaningless resolutions and bills that won't go anywhere because they are simply not capable of governing.

This Republican Congress is the least productive of any Congress since the Great Depression. They don't have any new ideas or solutions. Instead, they just continue to gravitate to their comfort zone, which is doing the bidding of the oil and gas industry.

President Biden and congressional Democrats have taken a drastically different approach. In stark contrast to Republicans' polluters over people agenda, Democrats are fighting to lower American energy bills, grow our middle class with new, good-paying clean energy jobs, and combat the worsening climate crisis.

Through the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act, we have seen clean energy projects growing all over the country. New manufacturing facilities are making EVs, batteries, and other clean energy technologies, and they are all booming because of crucial investments from these two bills.

This leads to emission reductions, energy production, and, of course, important new jobs. It is revitalizing communities across the country, with more than 271,000 clean energy jobs created since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

In fact, the sponsor of this resolution will get to witness the power of these investments in his own district in Washington State. Two companies backed by bipartisan infrastructure law investments of $100 million are building next-generation EV battery plants in Washington State, in his district, and are expected to create hundreds of new jobs.

It is not just the State of Washington that is benefiting. Over half of the Inflation Reduction Act's projects are located in congressional districts represented by Republicans, totaling more than 144,000 new jobs and over $262 billion in investments.

We are growing the economies in their districts, yet Republicans continue to complain.

Republicans often talk about the Biden administration's so-called war on energy. They mentioned it today. I honestly have no idea what they are talking about. American energy production is breaking records. Gas prices have remained stable over the last year. The Energy Information Administration has forecasted that Americans are paying less for heating costs this year than they did last year.

Other countries--and often our competitors--are investing rapidly in clean energy. If we pause our important work, we will fall behind.

If Republicans have their way, we will stop competing, stop investing in the booming clean energy economy, and simply recommit to expensive, polluting fossil fuels as the way forward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this do-nothing resolution, and I urge my colleagues across the aisle to come up with better things for all of us to do with our time, not waste our time.

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Mr. PALLONE. Crockett).

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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 2 minutes.

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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I heard the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Washington State, mention and make reference to Ukraine and then to LNG exports. Let me say, the only thing that is holding up aid to Ukraine is the Republican leadership.

The Speaker at any time could bring up a bill providing funding for military purposes and supplies in Ukraine, and it would pass this House overwhelmingly. I don't know why he isn't doing it. However, for them to suggest on the other side of the aisle that somehow we are not helping Ukraine, that is their fault because they refuse to bring up the spending bill that will allow that to happen. It is not happening this week. Then we are going to go on a 2-week break, and it is still not happening. They are running out of ammunition in Ukraine to defend themselves against Putin.

I will also mention the gentleman's reference to LNG exports. Again, Republicans are ignoring the facts that don't conform with their narrative.

The U.S. has become the number one exporter of LNG worldwide in just a few short years, and there is enough already approved liquefied natural gas export permits for us to triple our export capacity without issuing a single additional permit.

This level of production, according to a letter sent by over 60 European Union lawmakers, will meet the energy needs of our allies in Europe for years to come. We are supporting our allies. It is those on the other side of the aisle, the Republicans, who are not supporting our allies by not allowing legislation to come to the floor that will help Ukraine.

The White House has issued an LNG pause that serves as an opportunity to evaluate how the recent boom in LNG is contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, environmental pollution, and domestic energy price increases.

What we are saying here today--and this is what the Republicans ignore--is that this administration, the Biden administration, is increasing production, increasing production of oil and natural gas, addressing renewables, getting more solar out there, getting more wind out there, but at the same time making sure that our economy grows, that gas prices don't increase, and addressing the climate crisis.

The White House has this LNG pause because one study found that the rise in U.S. LNG exports over the past 3 years is contributing to higher energy bills for American families.

We also shouldn't ignore the public health impacts of unfettered fossil fuel development along our Gulf Coast. Study after study demonstrates a link between fossil fuel plants and adverse health outcomes. Louisiana's so-called Cancer Alley experiences low birth weights of three times the national average and preterm births at twice the national average.

I want to commend the administration for pausing new LNG permitting to examine these potential impacts. Again, the LNG exports are increasing. They are at a high. The European Union is benefiting from them.

Unfortunately, Ukraine is not benefiting at all because the House Republican leadership refuses to bring up legislation that would help Ukraine defend themselves.

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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, this resolution claims that the Biden administration has hampered the domestic production of energy and made the United States more reliant on other countries for its energy needs.

This could not be further from the truth. I want to be crystal clear to get this into the record: Under the Biden administration, the United States is producing more energy than it has at any other point in its history.

In fact, throughout the entirety of President Biden's term in office, the U.S. has produced more energy than it has consumed. He is the only President to have achieved that in my lifetime.

Last year, the United States added a record 33 gigawatts of solar capacity, fueled by the Inflation Reduction Act, which is lowering costs for Americans every day. We should be thanking President Biden for unleashing American energy.

Republicans can say whatever they want, but the facts don't lie. President Biden's energy policies are strengthening energy security and positioning us to compete globally all while reducing emissions. Please, I urge everyone to vote against the resolution.

Let me just say, this resolution is really flat out absurd in its attempt by extreme Republicans to mislead the American public.

The data shows that we are producing more energy. It is not just oil and gas. It is solar, it is more wind turbines, and it is exporting more gas and liquid fuels than ever before. Meanwhile, the administration is making significant progress in its effort to drive down planet warming air pollution.

Last year, U.S. emissions fell, as I said, by 2 percent even as the economy roared and GDP grew by 2.34 percent. These numbers are a clear indication that we can achieve a safer climate while bolstering energy security and job growth at the same time.

In the face of this climate crisis, the U.S. must continue to be a global leader in the clean energy transition and help our communities prevent further extreme weather and other climate impacts.

What we are seeing before us today with this resolution is the Republicans' polluters over people agenda. That is the reality. It is a policy that is outlined in this resolution that risks derailing the immense progress that President Biden has made since taking office.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I can't emphasize enough that what we are seeing with this President and this administration is an effort to increase energy production across the board and at the same time become a global leader on addressing the climate crisis.

Let us continue with that. Let us build on that. Don't take us back. That is what this resolution would do. It would take us back.

Madam Speaker, I encourage everyone to vote against this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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