OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Lower Energy Costs Act

Floor Speech

Date: March 28, 2023
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support today of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act.

Since coming into office, the Biden administration has taken steps to depress domestic energy production, causing prices to skyrocket and making America reliant on our adversaries for energy.

From heating our homes to filling our gas tanks, Americans have been burdened with historically high energy prices. With growing global demand predicted year after year, we must pass laws that will make America energy independent.

H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, is crucial in restarting our onshore and offshore leasing program. It also incentivizes the production of domestic minerals that are essential for national security and sustainable energy projects.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about all this electrification.

Mr. Chairman, do you know what needs electrification? Copper.

Do you know what the other side has done? They have started to ban copper mines.

I don't know how you make this happen unless, I guess, they want us to buy copper from China. It makes sense to me: Buy copper from China and be reliant on people who don't like us.

You can see the production here, Mr. Chairman. Look at Chinese copper production. Look at United States copper production.

I know what the other side wants. They want us to be reliant on China.

Modernizing our Federal regulations needs to happen so we prevent projects from being in endless litigation.

Mr. Chairman, let's do the things that are sustainable and necessary for our economy and that are necessary to making sure that we are energy independent.

H.R. 1 incentivizes an all-of-the-above energy approach. This legislation promotes domestic sources of materials critical to renewable energy while maintaining robust environmental standards.

American energy is the cleanest in the world. We can and we must produce our own energy in an efficient, clean, and safe way for Americans. We can do that.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 1 to eliminate red tape and promote affordable domestic energy production.

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