HEAT Members Blast Democrats' Short-Sighted Energy Bills

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Co-Chair of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT), joined members of HEAT to strongly condemn a trio of highly-restrictive energy bills advanced by Democrats in the House this week.

The Trump Administration issued a veto threat to the bills in a Statement of Administration Policy, noting "These bills would undermine the Administration's commitment to a prosperous American economy supported by the responsible use of the Nation's abundant natural resources. Development of our resources enhances our energy security and energy dominance and produces high-paying American jobs; provides increased revenue to the Treasury, States, tribes, and local communities; and is a critical source of conservation funding."

HEAT Co-Chair, Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03): "Exploration and development of our resources provide American energy to the American people – it simply makes sense. If we don't capitalize on domestic production, we're going to have to import that energy from somewhere else. What's the alternative? Reliance on foreign sources of energy from nations like Russia. These bills make us strategically weaker as a nation by leveraging Russia while undermining our own energy security."

Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01): "Liberals want to pick winners and force government mandates upon American businesses. This ridiculous agenda will only put Americans out of work and increase prices of American consumers. The American people deserve a free market, all-of-the-above energy policy that promotes responsible energy exploration and development. I deeply appreciate our House Energy Action Team members' leadership in opposing this restrictive legislation and fighting to put American energy first."

HEAT Co-Chair, Rep. Markwayne Mullin (OK-02): "We have an abundance of energy resources right here at home and we should be utilizing them in an ‘all of the above energy' strategy. Millions of Americans rely on our energy industry for their livelihoods and to keep the lights on at a price they can afford. It also ensures that we are not dependent on foreign oil to meet our energy needs. These bills threaten to take all that away."

Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08): "I support an all-of-the-above energy approach to ensure that Americans have access to abundant and affordable sources of American energy. Using our nation's resources provides benefits in the form of jobs and economic investment for millions of Americans employed in and around the production of energy, but also for Americans employed by energy-intensive industries. American energy independence is thriving and keeping the energy costs of Americans low, and these restrictive energy exploration bills take a giant leap backwards to a time when energy prices were higher and our nation was dangerously dependent on foreign sources of energy."

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02): "Being pro-energy and pro-conservation are not mutually exclusive, but these bills operate under that guise. Permanently banning energy exploration is short-sighted and limits our ability to react to future energy needs. It's actually worse for air and water quality because it reinforces global reliance on dirty oil. We make our earth cleaner by producing clean, cheap, exportable energy and sharing it with the world."

Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID-01): "These democrat bills are a step backward, resulting in higher energy costs to Americans and millions of jobs eliminated. We should take advantage of our country's bountiful energy resources as we continue researching additional sources-- not increase our dependence on foreign oil imports."

Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-04): "The United States is home to some of the richest energy sources in the world. Rather than relying on hostile regimes who hate America, we should be producing energy right here in our backyard. Today's Left wants to lock up millions of acres of land and water from energy exploration which will put millions of Americans out of work, send energy prices skyrocketing, and harm our national security."

Rep. Kevin Hern (OK-01): "Energy dominance is our goal. To get there, we must enact free-market solutions to power our country and propel us forward. Energy is Oklahoma's lifeblood. We are on the front lines of innovation and excellence in the industry. Restrictive, anti-growth energy policies from the Left cut out the fossil fuels that we have depended on for generations. An all-of-the-above approach to energy policy will help us utilize the resources we have domestically and move away from dependence on our foreign adversaries. I urge my colleagues to join us in support of these common-sense energy bills."

Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08): "I want good-paying energy jobs in North Carolina. These bills deny us that opportunity and deny the fact that we can responsibly explore and produce offshore energy while protecting our beautiful coast and our tourism and ocean industries. I will continue to work to get North Carolina into the energy business."

Rep. Debbie Lesko (AZ-08): "Energy is a critical driver of the American economy. The United States is not only on a path to energy independence, but to energy dominance. We cannot reach or even sustain our potential without large scale access to developing our energy resources. These three bills put our energy independence, quality of life, and national security at risk. Affordable and reliable energy can be produced right here at home. We should continue to do just that."

Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22): "American energy is synonymous with American security and these bills put both in peril. I say this both as a Texan who knows the disastrous effect these bills would have on the energy industry in my state, and as a veteran who understands the consequences on our military if these bills become law. Unlike most of this bill's supporters, I am a retired Naval aviator who has flown training missions over oceans both at home and around the world. We can protect our training areas for the men and women who are getting ready to do the job that I did for so many years without instituting blanket bans on energy production."

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14): "Thanks to the Trump Administration's pro-energy policies, we are seeing the enormous economic, consumer, and security benefits generated by the energy industry, including many good-paying American jobs in western Pennsylvania. These misguided bills would not only end this progress by eliminating jobs and increasing energy prices, but also make our nation dependent on foreign energy sources. I look forward to working with Whip Scalise, Co-chairs Mullin and Duncan, and the other HEAT Members to promote ideas that encourage innovation and energy independence and keep energy bills low for American families."

Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04): "The U.S. is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. It is in our national interest to not only understand what resources are at our disposal, but to also be good stewards of those resources and use them in an environmentally-friendly manner. We should be using every tool at our disposal to produce the cleanest, cheapest and safest energy possible. These proposals would do nothing but slow the progress we've made over the years."

Background:

View Congressman Duncan's remarks in opposition to H.R. 205 HERE.

• H.R. 205, To amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to permanently extend the moratorium on leasing in certain areas of the Gulf of Mexico

View Congressman Duncan's remarks in opposition to H.R. 1941 HERE.

• H.R. 1941, to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior including in any leasing program certain planning areas

View Congressman Duncan's remarks in opposition to H.R. 1146 HERE.

• H.R. 1146, This bill repeals the portion of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act authorizing oil and gas development in the ANWR