House Republicans have proposed an energy package that supports fossil fuels. According to the White House, the measure will be vetoed. The House Republicans’ pro-fossil-fuel legislative package contradicts President Joe Biden’s progressive climate policy.
The Reduce Energy Costs Act is a 175-page measure given the symbolic priority of H.R. 1 and will be voted on later this week. H.R.1 energy package includes provisions that, among other things, would simplify the process of environmental review for energy infrastructure projects, require more onshore oil lease sales, expand drilling access to public lands, and prohibit foreign companies with a history of human rights violations from mining on federal lands.
The White House confirmed in a statement published on Monday that Biden will veto the law if it ever reaches his desk. According to the White House statement, H.R. 1 would set the country back in its current state, and as a result, it would be vetoed by the President.
The White House alleged, in particular, that the planned energy package would benefit oil and gas industries at the expense of the environment and public health.
H.R. 1 will double the cost of energy efficiency upgrades for families to reduce household bills and repeal the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The White House argued that Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund would allow energy costs would be reduced and economic growth would be boosted in rural and urban areas, referring to the plan to set aside $20 billion in funding for so-called “green banks” and $7 billion to subsidize state and local government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Since its unveiling in February, Republicans have sought to overturn the $27 billion proposal. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington), chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, termed it an example of the reckless spending included in the Democrats’ politicized rush-to-green reconciliation plan.
The White House also criticized suggested changes to important environmental regulations, which Democrat-led states have used to hinder fossil fuel projects such as gas pipelines and coal export terminals.
H.R. 1 would also allow large corporations to circumvent the Clean Air Act by weakening pollution control requirements, weakening emissions requirements and worker protection for refineries that use toxic chemicals, modifying the Toxic Substances Control Act requirements for determining whether chemicals used in the energy sector are safe, and repealing $1.5 billion in investments aimed at reducing methane leaks that harm surrounding communities, the statement continued.
In recent months, the bill has advanced quickly through the House Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. It is anticipated to pass the Republican-controlled House but is unlikely to pass through the Senate, where Democrats have a slim 51-49 majority.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) called the plan a “partisan, dead-on-arrival, and unserious proposition” earlier this month.
The only way this Congress will enact a serious energy deal is via bipartisan collaboration, Schumer stated. He is delighted that good-faith conversations are now continuing between both parties in both chambers to determine what kind of permitting arrangement is feasible.