Subcommittee Chair Duncan Opening Remarks on the Department of Energy’s Budget

Washington D.C. - House Energy and Commerce Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) delivered the following opening remarks at today's Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee hearing titled "The Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Energy Budget."

"The Department of Energy has immense national security responsibilities to protect America's energy security and to oversee the nation's nuclear weapons program.

"DOE also conducts and oversees taxpayer-funded research and development and provides loans and grants to help commercialize energy-related technologies.

"These hearings are essential to ensure that the Department is sticking to its core mission and acts as responsible stewards of taxpayer resources.

"Members will also have an opportunity to examine DOE's expanding budget request.

"This year, DOE is requesting $51.4 billion dollars. Since FY 2021, DOE's budget has increased by about $12 billion dollars, about 30 percent."

PRESIDENT BIDEN'S WAR ON AMERICAN ENERGY

"After three years of President Biden's war on American energy, the American people are suffering.

"The administration's blind obsession to 'transition' everyone away from fossil fuels is straining household budgets and putting the American dream further out of reach for many struggling families.

"Inflation is out of control. Sky-high energy prices and persistent supply-chain shortages are impacting our economy and our safety.

"From groceries to electric bills-everything costs more under President Biden's energy policies."

"Americans expect that when we flip the switch or turn the key-that the power comes on immediately.

"In America, if you want to build a home or expand a business-we expect that the infrastructure can be built quickly and predictably.

"Regrettably, under President Biden, supply chain shortages and price spikes have crippled our economic growth and made it more difficult to build new infrastructure."

ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

"The Department of Energy has played a role in the energy price spikes and persistent supply chain shortages.

"DOE has mismanaged our Strategic Petroleum Reserves-draining the stockpile to the lowest level in the nation's history, with no credible plan to replenish it and no plan to increase domestic energy production.

"DOE has turned a blind eye to punitive EPA regulations that have forced the premature retirement of our most affordable and reliable coal, gas, and nuclear power plants and threatened the reliability and stability of our electric grid.

"DOE has pursued a radical climate agenda to impose new Federal regulations for household appliances, electrical equipment, building construction, and natural gas usage.

"DOE also recently imposed a ban on the issuance of new LNG export permits-a political reward for the 'keep-it-in-the-ground' climate activists in an election year.

"As the Committee learned during a field hearing in Port Arthur, Texas, the LNG export ban has created hardships and pain for thousands of workers and their families along the Gulf Coast."

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION TO REIN IN THE DOE

The Democrat's radical transition plans, and the Department of Energy's refusal to accept and address the threats facing our energy systems, has required Congress to act.

"Under the Republican majority, the House has passed bipartisan legislation to rein in the Department of Energy and the Biden administration.

"At the beginning of this Congress, we passed H.R. 1 to unleash American energy and modernize our energy infrastructure. In the months that followed, we passed bills to reverse punitive regulations and policy decisions that the Secretary of Energy signed off on.

"We passed legislation to reverse the ban on gas stoves, to prevent DOE from draining our strategic petroleum stockpile and selling it to China, and to reverse DOE's moratorium on new LNG export permits."

"Today's hearing will allow the Secretary of Energy to answer for the Biden administration's war on American energy.

"We stand at a pivotal time in our nation's history, and the decisions that are made today will impact our kids and grandkids for generations.

"We have a simple choice: We can embrace America's energy abundance and cement our position as the world's number one energy superpower, or we can follow the Biden administration's plan to rely on China for batteries, electric cars, and solar panels made with slave labor and environmental abuses.

"As it has been said in this Committee before, I believe we need an American energy expansion, not an energy transition to China.

"A critical part of this energy expansion is nuclear energy. I am pleased with this administration's dedication to expanding nuclear energy and I look forward to continuing to work with both my colleagues here in Congress and the Biden administration on advancing this goal."

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