Schumer Vows To Bury Affordable Energy In A Senate Graveyard

House Republicans Recently Passed The Lower Energy Costs Act, Which ‘Restores American Energy Leadership’ And ‘Makes It Easier To Build Things In America’

HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN McCARTHY (R-CA): “For years, President Biden and Democrats have attacked energy producers, blocked new leases on federal land, and ground permitting processes to a halt. Their so called Inflation Reduction Act included a natural gas tax, a $27 billion climate slush fund…. Democrats have sent a clear message about their priorities. They are the party of $5 gas, subsidizing Communist China and the never ending dependence on foreign dictators for minerals we have in America…. Luckily, Congress has the opportunity to change the behavior of Washington by passing the Lower Energy Costs Act.” (Speaker McCarthy, Remarks, 3/28/2023)

• “The Lower Energy Costs Act does two important things. One, it restores American energy leadership by repealing unnecessary taxes and over regulation on American energy producers. So we can lead the world in providing clean affordable energy. Two, it makes it easier to build things in America. For example, this bill includes a two-year time limit on environmental impact statements. It also streamlines the process for lawsuits, so activists can’t use the courts to delay projects for years.” (Speaker McCarthy, Remarks, 3/28/2023)

‘The Massive GOP Bill Would Sharply Increase Domestic Production Of Oil, Natural Gas And Coal, And Ease Permitting Restrictions That Delay Pipelines, Refineries And Other Projects’

“House Republicans passed a sprawling energy bill [March 30^th], delivering their biggest legislative win since they took control of the chamber in January and setting up a clash with Democrats by pitting fossil fuels against President Joe Biden’s climate change agenda.” (“House Republicans Pass Marquee Energy Bill In Rebuke Of Biden,” Politico, 3/30/2023)

“The massive GOP bill would sharply increase domestic production of oil, natural gas and coal, and ease permitting restrictions that delay pipelines, refineries and other projects. It also would boost production of critical minerals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt that are used in products such as electric vehicles, computers and cellphones…. Republicans gave the bill the symbolic label H.R. 1 — the top legislative priority of the new GOP majority, which took control of the House in January. The measure, which combines dozens of separate proposals, represents more than two years of work by Republicans who have chafed at Mr. Biden's environmental agenda. They said Mr. Biden's efforts have thwarted U.S. energy production and increased costs at the gas pump and grocery store.” (“House Passes Sprawling GOP Energy Bill Aimed At Reversing Biden Climate Policies,” CBS News, 3/30/2023)

• “The energy bill seeks to address some core Republican energy priorities from the past decade, from disapproving of Biden’s block on the Keystone XL pipeline to mandating more oil and gas lease sales and making it harder for states to block the construction of interstate pipelines that cross their borders…. The GOP bill would overhaul rules for reviews conducted under the bedrock 1970 National Environmental Policy Act for energy infrastructure, ranging from pipelines to clean energy projects and mines, by setting a two-year deadline for major reviews and making it more difficult for environmentalists to sue to stop projects.” (“House Republicans Pass Marquee Energy Bill In Rebuke Of Biden,” Politico, 3/30/2023)

• “It would also limit the president’s power over energy development, curbing his authority to restrict or delay the development of energy on federal land and barring him from banning the use of hydraulic fracturing — commonly known as fracking — to extract oil and gas. The legislation would direct the Interior Department to sell new leases to drill on federal lands and in federal waters…. It would reduce the royalties that oil and gas companies have to pay to drill on federal lands, while repealing a section of the 2022 climate change law, also known as the Inflation Reduction Act, that forced oil and gas companies to pay a fee on emissions …” (House Passes G.O.P. Energy Bill, Pushing to Roll Back Biden Climate Measures,” The New York Times, 3/30/2023)

• “Central in the bill is language that would repeal several climate programs in the 2022 climate, health and tax law, including a $4.5 billion home electrification rebate program, an EPA program to build out national green banking to support emission-reduction efforts and a methane program that would charge fossil energy companies … The bill would accelerate the permitting process under the National Environmental Policy Act, mandate more oil and gas lease sales and support the export of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.” (“House Passes GOP Energy Bill,” Roll Call, 3/30/2023)

But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Has Repeatedly And Unilaterally Declared House Republicans’ Lower Energy Costs Act ‘Dead On Arrival In The Senate’

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “The House is expected today to vote on Republicans’ partisan, unserious, and so-called energy package that they call H.R. 1. First, once again, I want to make it clear, H.R. 1 is dead on arrival in the Senate.” (Sen. Schumer, Remarks, 3/30/2023)

• SCHUMER: “Republicans’ H.R. 1 proposal is dead on arrival in the Senate. Let me just repeat that so they hear it on the other side of the aisle: H.R. 1 is dead on arrival in the Senate. So you can do all the hoopla you want in the House, it ain’t passing. It’s not going to change a thing.” (Sen. Schumer, Remarks, 3/21/2023)

• SCHUMER: “Yesterday, Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans rolled out a partisan, unserious, and dead-on-arrival so-called energy package they laughably labeled as H.R. 1. … So let me be clear: the House Republicans’ so-called energy bill is dead on arrival in the Senate. Dead on arrival.” (Sen. Schumer, Remarks, 3/16/2023)

• SCHUMER: “Today, House Republicans are rolling out a partisan, dead-on-arrival, and unserious proposal for addressing America’s energy needs that they have laughably labeled H.R 1. It is a non-starter in the Senate.” (Sen. Schumer, Remarks, 3/15/2023)

As Schumer Stonewalls, Americans Are Paying More To Fill Up Their Vehicles

“With the price of crude oil spiking last week, the national average price for a gallon of gas increased by nine cents to $3.64 per gallon for the week ending April 13, according to the latest AAA gas prices report. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI), an oil market benchmark, increased by $1.73 to settle at $83.26 at the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, AAA reported. ‘When the cost of crude oil crosses the $80 a barrel mark, that puts a lot of upward pressure on what we pay at the pump,’ AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a statement. ‘And as long as oil costs remain at the current level, drivers will likely see incremental price increases for now.’” (“Gas Prices Pump Higher As The Cost Of Oil Rises: AAA,” Fox Business, 4/14/2023)

Instead Of Taking Up Legislation That Could Lower Energy Prices, Sen. Schumer Continues To Spend The Senate’s Time On Low-Level Executive Branch Nominees

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has prepared cloture votes on nominees to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and Assistant Attorney General. (White House Press Release, 6/15/2022; Congressional Record, S.1078, 3/30/2023; Congressional Record, S.1079, 3/30/2023)

The One Thing Schumer Will Make Time For? Partisan Political Stunts

“Schumer looks to squeeze Republicans: The majority leader said he plans to put forward a resolution this week … to force GOP senators into a politically difficult vote.” (Punchbowl News AM, 4/17/2023)

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): “I hoped this work period would prompt a change and we could start working on important, time-sensitive tasks that need to be completed. Unfortunately, here again we’re not off to great start. Rather than bringing up legislation to address the debt ceiling or the border crisis or any one of a number of other problems facing American families, Senator Schumer has announced that this week we will vote on a partisan resolution. The majority leader tried to frame this resolution as a way to defend the rule of law, but it’s a nonbinding resolution. It fails to do anything other than send a political message. The majority leader has been a fierce critic of similar resolutions in the past.” (Sen. Cornyn, Floor Remarks, 4/17/2023)

• SEN. CORNYN: “Now that he has the power to set the schedule in the Senate, Senator Schumer could bring any bill to the floor that he wanted. That’s the prerogative of the majority leader. He could schedule votes on actual bills. We could actually have votes on amendments to those bills and a fulsome debate…. But he refuses to bring that sort of bill to the floor. Instead, just an empty statement or political message…. [H]e shouldn’t continue to waste valuable floor time on purely partisan messaging that does absolutely nothing. The American people sent us here to work on their behalf, and it’s high time the majority leader decided to take that responsibility seriously and bring important legislation that will solve real problems to the floor of the United States Senate.” (Sen. Cornyn, Floor Remarks, 4/17/2023)