Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 4447, despite holding out hope that we would have a truly bipartisan energy package moving through this body.

As I look at the bill, we can't ignore the tremendous price tag, $135 billion, without discussing the use of valuable taxpayer dollars. This bill's price tag reflects the many subsidy programs that duplicate existing programs without meaningful attention applied to addressing the regulatory burdens facing these industries.

If the goal is to transition to a cleaner energy economy, we won't see real progress without a serious discussion about reforming existing regulatory barriers.

An example is the cumbersome NEPA review process which has slowed infrastructure projects for years and added countless sums in costs to projects, without any added benefit to the people.

Another concern I have with this bill is the focus on larger cities while leaving rural communities, like the ones I represent in south Georgia, on the wayside. If the goal is to spur on economic investments in the energy sector, the rural parts of America must be included.

There are also other concerns, such as expensive electric vehicle mandates and experimental technologies that will leave the taxpayer footing the bill.

This package, unfortunately, is not reflective of extensive bipartisan work in committee to pass policies that would help us move forward. Instead, it is a wish list of expensive and duplicate programs that will bog down the significant progress that has already been made here.

There are some programs and ideas that deserve separate consideration because of bipartisan support, but unfortunately, this package falls short.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

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