Scalise Participates in Roundtable Discussion on Lower Energy Costs Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wa.), House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) at a roundtable discussion moderated by Larry Kudlow at the America First Policy Institute to discuss how H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, removes burdensome regulations in order to promote American energy production, reduce costs for families, and protect our energy security. Leader Scalise slammed the Biden Administration's anti-American energy agenda, which is imposing strict restrictions on domestic energy production while putting money in the pockets of foreign dictators. Additionally, Leader Scalise highlighted how the United States produces energy more cleanly and efficiently than anywhere else in the world.

Click here or on the image above to view the roundtable discussion.

Highlights from Leader Scalise's opening remarks:

"We've been talking about this for so long, about just getting American energy production going again. And I want to thank the America First Policy Institute for hosting this, and for what y'all are doing to help us build a coalition around the country, because I think people are watching Congress more than they ever have to see because their lives are being adversely affected by President Biden's agenda.

"There's probably no single element that shows you how bad President Biden's agenda has been for families, especially lower income families, than his anti-American energy policies. It was day one. He went after Keystone. He went after permits. He went after lease sales. It's almost impossible to develop energy in America anymore. And what happened right after? The price started shooting through the roof, because America is the only free market economy that has vast reserves of oil and natural gas.

"And so if you shut America down, there are other places that have energy, but go look at them: Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela. Is this really the world that we want to be addicted to? And yet that's what President Biden did by shutting down American energy.

"And by the way, if you listen to his global warming czars - you know you got John Kerry flying all around the world on private jets which, by the way, uses fossil fuels - it's jet fuel. They don't have solar panels on Air Force One, not on John Kerry's private jets, his fleet that he flies around. But they'll fly around the world having all these summits talking about how to crush American energy.

"They exempt China, the world's biggest polluter. They beg Russia, other countries for our energy, when we make it here cleaner than anywhere else in the world. We ought to lean into that. Take them on on the science, because no country does it better. These folks that are against American energy, they wake up every day trying to attack America, trying to bash America and saying, 'oh, America is the wrong of the world.'

"We're the best place to do business. We're the best place to make things. We're the most generous nation in the world. And when we make energy, it lowers the cost for families because we want to make energy not just for ourselves, but for our friends around the world. And if we can't do it, the rest of the world hurts. But especially here in America, low and middle income families are the ones that get kicked in the gut the hardest.

"So the whole idea behind the Lower Energy Costs Act is exactly that. It's lowering costs for families, allowing us to produce energy in America so we don't have to be addicted to foreign countries that don't like us. And so we deal with a lot of things that these three committees worked on and I know each of them are going to talk about what they did. The Transportation Committee, Energy and Commerce Committee, Natural Resources Committee - all focused on getting the government out of the way, removing the hurdles.

"We have the best standards in the world, so again, if you're not doing it here, you're doing it in another country - go look at the Congo and their water standards. Is that really where we want to get some of our critical minerals? China - we open up critical minerals, too.

"We also put money back in the pockets of families by repealing, completely repealing, [President] Biden's natural gas tax. That's a $6 billion windfall to low-income families who are struggling.

"And I would argue the biggest driver of inflation, which is the biggest threat to families today, is this anti-American energy policy of [President] Biden's because it affects everything else. You're not only paying 40 percent more at the pump, you're not only paying 20 to 30 or 40 percent more in your household electricity costs, but it permeates through every other segment of our society when you go to the grocery store, or anywhere else.

"Lowering American energy costs is good for families, it's good for our economy, and it's good for our friends all around the world. That's why it's H.R. 1. That's why we're going to bring this bill to the floor Thursday for vote and pass it.

"I would challenge President Biden, who issued a veto threat on this bill yesterday because he said his energy policies are so good, I would tell him to go back out into the real world. He loves talking about Scranton, Pennsylvania. Go to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and ask those families how hard times are because of his high energy costs that he's put in place on them. Families are struggling because of his policies. This reverses that."

Issues:Energy