Lower Energy Costs Act
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I rise today in full, unambiguous support of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act.
The Energy and Commerce Committee recently heard from David Hickman, a farmer, who described our current economy as the most perilous time for American agriculture. He is right, and he is not alone.
Every day that I am in Georgia's First Congressional District, whether I am talking to a parent, a farmer, a teacher, a trucker, or a small business owner, I hear the same concern: Inflation is too high. Everything, from diesel to food, is more expensive under this President, who cannot stop himself from spending your money, stealing your retirement funds, and stomping on your small business.
The average household is paying $10,000 more per year as a result of Biden's policies. What is worse is that pain is the point.
On day one of his Presidency, President Biden declared war on American energy, and at breakneck speed ended American energy independence and killed thousands of jobs.
What came next? Inflation, high interest rates, small businesses closing their doors, and even more inflation.
When you plunge a knife into the heart of our economy, you can't be surprised when it begins bleeding out.
Fortunately, House Republicans are stepping up and delivering solutions for the American people. H.R. 1 will increase American energy production, reform the permitting process for all industries, reverse this administration's anti-energy policies, streamline energy infrastructure, and boost the production and processing of critical minerals. That is a long-winded way of saying that this bill will make our energy sector more affordable, more efficient, and will create more jobs.
The American people told us that inflation and high energy prices were their number one concern, and we are listening by making it the House's number one priority. It doesn't even matter if you think we should ``drill, baby, drill'' or never use fossil fuels again, we need to be able to build in America again.
That is why I am particularly glad that my bill, H.R. 1070, was included in this legislation. It will help bring necessary permitting reform and investment in America's critical mineral mining and processing. Right now we rely almost entirely on China for critical minerals needed for batteries, smartphones, military technologies, and more.
Simply put, this is not energy independence. We depend more on China than we have ever relied on OPEC or any other countries for oil. It is a national security concern to depend on any one country that much for such an essential material.
My district is one of the few places in America that mines critical minerals, and we are eager to bring more of this essential and valuable supply chain home.
H.R. 1 is an important step, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this important legislation.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source