Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered remarks in today’s Energy Subcommittee legislative hearing on several bills and urged the committee to work to lower surging energy costs on American families.
Excerpts and highlights from her prepared remarks:
NEED TO ABANDON BIDEN’S WAR ON AMERICAN ENERGY
“The need for President Biden to abandon his war on American energy is becoming more urgent by the day.
“People can’t afford to fill up their gas tanks.
“Natural gas prices are surging, and because energy is foundational to every part of our lives, everything is more expensive, especially food.
“We must flip the switch on American oil and gas production to make life affordable again.
“This is clear to every American family as they confront record inflation and energy prices, declining electric reliability, blackout threats, and looming energy security threats from Russia’s war on Ukraine.
“It’s clear to domestic energy producers, manufacturers, and innovators as they struggle to attract capital to build and overcome permitting challenges, regulatory uncertainty, and China-controlled supply chains.
“To lower costs, President Biden must focus on removing the barriers to an American energy and economic resurgence.
“Tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve hasn’t worked.
“A gas tax holiday will be ineffective and would undermine funding to infrastructure projects for road safety.
“More government spending has fueled the inflation crisis.
“And asking foreign dictators for more oil like in Saudi Arabia, further weakens our security and prosperity.
“To secure our energy dominance and lower prices, the President must abandon this agenda that has led to his worsening energy crisis since Day 1.
“He must embrace policies that encourage investments in durable American energy and fuel the supply of goods and services into our economy.
“It means growing our tremendous energy systems, not dismantling them with radical, rush-to-green policies that stifle innovation, undermine security, and raise energy costs.
“This should guide how we evaluate proposals concerning energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, and energy security."
NEEDING TO HEAR FROM THE DOE
“Today’s hearing considers six bills, on different policy topics; the common connection among them is the Department of Energy (DOE).
“Unfortunately, DOE is not here, and we will not be able to question DOE officials on these bills and the programs they address.
“I’m hopeful we’ll have a chance soon. In the meantime, I welcome the opportunity for members to ask questions to stakeholders and other experts here today."
SECURING CRITICAL MINERAL SUPPLIES
“I’m pleased to see included Fred Upton’s H.R, 1599, Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act, which is part of our Securing Cleaner American Energy Agenda.
“This bill establishes a Cabinet-level focus on identifying the critical energy resources necessary to the development and supply of energy in America.
“This includes an assessment of supply chains across all energy systems in the United States - a critical way to identify and reform policies that would otherwise drive dependency on China.
“While much more must be done to strengthen energy security, establishing this function at DOE makes sense.
“It updates the Department’s historic role to assure reliable supplies of energy, to enable energy security."
WARNING OF NEW SPENDING AND MANDATES
“Regarding the other bills before us today, H.R. 8053 expands coverage of DOE’s work to secure critical defense electric infrastructure to all fifty states.
“This sounds like a positive path forward; but the bill goes farther with additional contracting authorities for DOE and more needs to be understood on that front.
“With this and some of the other bills, we have questions about implementation that we are pursuing today.
“There are expansions of federal programs that seem unrelated to the needed reset of our energy policies.
“For example, H.R. 7947 would create a new $450 million DOE program to prepare homes for weatherization, on top of existing programs.
“Yet, the weatherization program was just reauthorized, on a bi-partisan basis, two years ago.
“What is more, through the infrastructure law, Congress just appropriated $3.5 billion in additional spending on this program - far above what we authorized in 2020.
“So now it appears DOE can’t spend the money appropriated and needs a new, duplicative program and more funding.
“This deserves scrutiny. With record high inflation, should the federal government be paying to essentially flip houses on the taxpayer’s dime?
“We also are concerned with mandates in H.R. 7962. This bill addresses water heater energy efficiency standards, but also requires DOE to examine demand side management mandates.
“This is far reaching and may place control of your water heater in the hands of utilities or other third parties.
“There are huge implications to this that we must question.
“Overall, I look forward to our witness testimony this morning.
“Welcome to both Ben Lieberman - a former Committee staffer - and Lou Pugliaresi back to the Committee.
“I look forward to your insights on what is needed to reset our economic and energy policy, and to ensure an energy and economic resurgence in America."
