Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to ``Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources Review''

Floor Speech

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is in a long line of attacks from a hostile administration, and some of my Democratic colleagues, against oil and gas, conventional fuels, which has blessed our country with a safe, affordable abundant supply of energy. It fuels our economy. It keeps energy costs low for consumers and working families. It gives us energy independence.

In addition to the Paris climate and millions of jobs going away in the future as we implement that, pipeline and critical infrastructure cancelations, public land drilling moratoriums, weaponizing the tax code--because that is what is next--as they do away with ordinary and necessary depreciation and general business expenses, the posture from my colleagues is hostility toward an industry that has been so good to this country and to working families.

In this case, we would go back to the Obama-era regulatory regime that is costly and burdensome, not to the multinational oil and gas companies. They welcome it because they will just increase their market share. It is the mom and pop, small business, independent producers who make up 85 percent of the production of oil and gas. They can't take this. They will shut their doors. We will shutter family-owned small businesses.

And for what?

Trace amounts of methane gas. The cost benefit does not make any sense. This is a sledgehammer-to-a-fly approach. The real emitters on methane gas, if that is your goal, downstream, large-scale industrial utilities, and other industrial operations, that is where we ought to focus. That is what the Trump administration focused on, gave room for innovation, respected State regulation, and that partnership and Federalism.

Mr. Speaker, that is my position. I implore my colleagues to join me in opposing this and get back to some reasonable approaches to stewarding our environment and economic growth.

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