OPINION:
Our nation is blessed with abundant natural resources but is cursed with regulatory red tape that restricts our ability to utilize them. That’s why H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, which unleashes our vast energy supply to meet the needs of Americans, was a leading priority for House Republicans this Congress.
H.R. 1 will utilize our domestic supply to produce energy here at home and improve the standard of living for Americans and our allies. Last month, we saw H.R. 1 through the finish line in the House with bipartisan support.
So, why is H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, so important? The war on American energy production began on Joe Biden’s first day as President and has caused Americans to suffer from record-high energy prices across the board. Lowering energy costs is a leading priority because energy is the foundation of everything in American life—when the cost of energy goes up, everything else does too. When Biden took office just over two years ago, the national average for a gallon of gas was $2.39. At the time of this writing, that number is now $3.66, and we saw the national average for a gallon of gas reach a historic high of over $5 in June 2022. In Joe Biden’s America, many have been forced to choose between gas or groceries due to a self-imposed energy crisis.
Joe Biden’s policies shut down the Keystone XL pipeline, sent energy jobs overseas, imposed crippling regulations on the oil and gas industry, stifled domestic production, and emboldened our adversaries by forcing dependence on them for our energy needs.
H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, will take bold action to unleash our nation’s energy potential by reversing the President’s anti-American energy policies, cutting excessive bureaucratic red tape, helping to lower global carbon emissions with cleaner American liquefied natural gas (LNG), and increasing domestic production to lower costs. This will also allow us to export more clean American natural gas to help our allies break free of the grip of Vladimir Putin’s oligarchy that funds his energy-fueled war machine.
Instead of picking and choosing the winners and losers in the energy sector and relying on less-reliable forms of so-called “clean” energy, we should utilize all-of-the-above energy production here in the United States where we produce cleaner energy than nearly anywhere else in the world. Why wouldn’t we produce energy domestically instead of relying on dirty energy from countries like China with virtually no environmental standards or regard for human rights?
Energy security is national security, and Americans should never have to rely on our adversaries to supply our energy needs. The United States has incredible energy potential with vast reserves of oil, natural gas, and other critical minerals essential for energy dominance. H.R. 1 will allow us to unleash our potential to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy here at home and to our freedom-loving allies worldwide.
As Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chairman, I will continue to advocate for American energy to improve the standard of living for Americans and reestablish our energy leadership at home and abroad.
H.R. 1 will put Americans first and bring about actual solutions to the energy crisis. Passing H.R. 1 is a win for all Americans and will reestablish American energy dominance by unleashing domestic energy production.
• U.S Representative Jeff Duncan, South Carolina Republican, serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate. and Grid Security of House Energy and Commerce. He represents the state’s Third Congressional District and has received awards including the Freedom Fighter Award, Friend of the Farm Bureau, National Security Patriot Award, Guardian of Small Business, Hero of Main Street, Taxpayer’s Hero, and the prestigious Order of the Palmetto awarded by the Governor of South Carolina.
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