America was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our founding fathers enshrined the core values of freedom, limited government, and individual responsibility. Over the past several decades, uncontrolled government growth has threatened to endanger those key principles.
Candidate Biden promised to destroy America’s Oil & Gas industry, and as soon as he was inaugurated, the Biden Administration began restricting American oil and gas production. Biden’s anti-American energy agenda earliest actions included revoking approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, instituting a drilling moratorium on federal lands and waters, and the enactment of Green New Deal regulatory overreach. These actions have cost countless American jobs, increased our reliance on foreign nations for oil and gas, and raised costs for American families.
President Biden’s economic and energy policies have injured every American family. Inflation reached its highest rate in 40 years, supply chains were interrupted, our southern border was thrown open, and the entire nation began to suffer very quickly. Despite clear evidence that the entire world needed American energy, rather than reverse course on his disastrous political agenda, President Biden depleted our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, putting our national security even further at risk.
Everyone who has been to a gas station or paid their electric bill has seen firsthand the astronomical costs associated with Biden’s anti-American energy agenda. When fuel prices are high, it impacts the lives of American families. The world runs on oil and gas, and to ignore that fact cripples our economy.
Biden’s anti-American energy policies have hurt America in more ways than one, but the administration will not budge from its radical climate change agenda. They continue to impose onerous regulations that impact Louisiana and all of America.
The oil and gas industry is responsible for more than 300,000 jobs in Louisiana, and our petrochemical facilities are responsible for one-fifth of the nation’s refining capabilities. The attacks on American energy independence are greatly felt in our state.
During my time in Congress, I have supported many bills to override the Biden Administration’s war on oil and gas and help expand U.S. energy production. Now, with our new Republican majority, we are advancing significant reforms to unleash American energy production. H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, is critical in our efforts to restore energy dominance and bring down costs for every American family.
H.R. 1 repeals Biden’s $6 billion natural gas tax, reverses the harmful royalty rate hike on offshore energy production, and streamlines the approval of new energy infrastructure and development. Our bill forces the Biden Administration to resume lease sales on federal lands and waters and fully capitalize on America’s energy potential.
Southwest Louisiana, in particular, is the epicenter of America’s LNG industry. The export facilities in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes are major job providers and help supply clean energy products on a global scale. H.R. 1 helps fast-track approval for LNG export permits as well as streamlines the permitting process for new pipeline infrastructure.
Further, H.R. 1 addresses much needed reforms to revenue sharing provisions for offshore energy production. The bill ensures that Louisiana receives its fair share of revenues from production in the Gulf of Mexico and expands the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) provisions to include offshore wind energy production. These revenues, in turn, provide critical investments for coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana.
Many of the most pressing issues facing our nation revolve around our need to increase American energy production. The Lower Energy Costs Act delivers a significant win and takes direct action to improve the lives of all Americans. Republicans in Congress are following through on our commitment to restore economic prosperity, starting with energy dominance.
America is an anointed nation, blessed by God with natural resources. We are to use those resources responsibly and with care, yes, but use them we will. Economic prosperity uplifts all Americans, and energy is the cornerstone of economic prosperity.
By. U.S. Congressman Clay Higgins, R-Louisiana
Originally Published in American Press – Weekend Edition
