Lower Energy Costs Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DONALDS. Mr. Chair, as is often said in this Chamber, I didn't anticipate debating, but as I sit on the floor listening to some of the things coming from the Democrats about this bill, a lot of it is just simply not true.

The Democrats are accusing us of providing funds and slush funds to Big Oil, but in the very Inflation Reduction Act that they passed last Congress--on a partisan basis, mind you--there is $20 billion in that bill that goes to the green energy--I don't know--environment slush fund. The EPA is already saying, Mr. Chair, that that $20 billion is being basically earmarked for a handful of special interests that the American people have no idea about.

The Democrats want to lecture us about making sure that we stop the polluters, but their own energy plan actually empowers the biggest polluter on the planet, and that is China. It is China that mines all the minerals for electric batteries, and China does not care about emission standards.

The Democrats have no problem empowering China when it comes to mineral production. They have no problem empowering China when it comes to oil production. They just want to limit it here in the United States.

This is the same backward thinking that the Europeans have realized in the face of Putin's aggression in Ukraine. It was all good to let Russia drill as long as Europe didn't drill.

Mr. Chair, that does not work when it comes to energy production. H.R. 1 brings common sense back to America's energy matrix. It is an all-of-the-above strategy.

Listen, I am a Member who has some issues, but I am voting for the legislation because it is far more important to put America in first position when it comes to energy exploration on the globe, as opposed to funding these Green New Deal think tanks and these Green New Deal energy consortiums that haven't proven that they can deliver baseload power to address the needs of the American people.

We have an energy problem. That is true. Our energy problem starts first with having cheap and readily available energy for poor Americans, middle-income Americans, small business owners, medium-sized business owners, and, yes, even the people who are wealthy among us.

Our economy thrives with a robust energy matrix, not one divided up based upon special interests from the left. That does not work. What works is actually using tried and true energy production standards.

By the way, when we drill for natural gas and explore for natural gas and oil here in America, we do it cleaner than anywhere else on the globe. We do it better than anywhere else on the globe, so much so that people want to import it from us.

That sounds like a quality plan for America, not the dogma from the Democrats.

I have been hearing the talking points all week. Polluters over people? That is a joke. The only people who are putting interests over people are the Democrats with their faulty energy policy. It must stop.

We have to put Americans first. Support H.R. 1.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DONALDS. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the time and the effort here.

In an effort to ultimately streamline the regulatory approval timeline, my amendment requires the implementation of a study that explores the licensing and permitting process of other energy sources under the Department of Energy's jurisdiction.

By studying the licensing procedures of various energy sources, we can streamline the regulatory process overall by cutting down unnecessary red tape.

My amendment seeks to optimize American power production, create a sense of ease and standardization in the regulatory maze surrounding various energy sources and examine other regulatory procedures to safely expedite the approval timeline.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DONALDS. Madam Chair, I rise in support of this amendment. What this amendment really does is it requires a study on America's current uranium supply, specifically looking into the status of and the quality of such domestic uranium deposits, and it seeks policy solutions relating to America's domestic uranium challenges.

My amendment also requires analysis of America's supply in comparison to other countries around the globe.

In short, Madam Chair, if you are going to embrace nuclear power in the United States, we also have to understand what our uranium needs are. We have to be able to assess them, and that is what the nature of my amendment does.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Self) to talk about this amendment, as well.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DONALDS. Madam Chair, it is important for us to understand that there are two key investments that America is going to need to make. One is increasing our domestic uranium mining capabilities, and number two is bolstering our domestic uranium conversion and enrichment capabilities.

If the concern of the United States is to find a way to increase baseload power, and also the necessary concern about emissions, then nuclear power is the path forward for that. We have to take stock of our uranium capabilities here in the United States.

Madam Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), the chair of the Natural Resources Committee.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DONALDS. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for his concerns, and that is something I definitely want to work on as we move forward.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source