WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to create jobs and strengthen America’s energy security today with passage of H.R. 2021, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act. The measure, which is part of the GOP’s American Energy Initiative, passed the House with bipartisan support by a vote of 253 to 166.
The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act, authored by Reps. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Gene Green (D-TX), will eliminate the administration’s bureaucratic delays that have stalled offshore energy production in the Outer Continental Shelf. Development of these waters would bring billions of barrels of domestic oil online and create tens of thousands of American jobs.
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) lent his support to the legislation, stating, “This bipartisan bill is about jobs and energy security. It is about cutting through the red tape and harnessing our vast resources. This is the kind of common-sense, job-creating, energy-producing legislation the American people sent us here to deliver."
“This bill doesn’t just relate to Alaska - it has to do with every American who is forced to suffer high gas prices and who wants to see our nation weaned off Middle East oil," said Gardner. “Exploration in Alaska will bring relief at the pump, take us one step closer toward energy independence and create tens of thousands of jobs in Alaska and the rest of the country."
Watch Gardner’s remarks on the House floor here.
