Protecting American Energy Production Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1085, I call up the bill (H.R. 1121) to prohibit a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Mr. STAUBER. 1121.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1121, the Protecting American Energy Production Act.
H.R. 1121, introduced by Congressman Duncan, would prevent any President from issuing a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing while also establishing a sense of Congress that States should regulate the practice on State and private land.
Hydraulic fracturing has been around for almost 100 years. The practice, combined with recent technological improvements and the advent of horizontal drilling, has propelled the United States to global energy superpower status.
This surge in supply has contributed to lower energy prices for consumers, stimulating economic growth, and improving the quality of life for all Americans.
In truth, a ban on hydraulic fracturing would cripple the American economy while surrendering world energy leadership to Russia, Iran, and China.
Federal efforts to regulate fracking, which is currently adequately regulated by the States, could have an equally devastating impact.
The 2005 Energy Policy Act clarified that Congress never intended the Federal Government to regulate fracking under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
In the Obama administration, the Bureau of Land Management attempted to regulate the practice for Federal lands and minerals, but the courts threw out that effort.
In the decision, the judge clearly stated, ``Congress has not delegated to the Department of the Interior the authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing. The BLM's effort to do so through the fracking rule is in excess of its statutory authority and contrary to law.''
Currently, States regulate fracking, and each has comprehensive laws and regulations to provide for safe operations, to protect drinking water sources, and to have trained personnel effectively regulating oil and gas exploration and production.
In addition to preventing the President from implementing a unilateral fracking ban, this bill would also express a sense of Congress that States should maintain regulatory authority over fracking on State and private lands.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R.
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Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, one of the things my good friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle have stated is that the Big Oil and Gas companies are making record profits, and these bills are essentially tax cuts for Big Oil. That couldn't be further from the truth.
This President's anti-energy agenda has driven up energy prices for all Americans, which also has created greater revenues for Big Oil companies. If Democrats are really concerned about energy prices, the best thing they can do is mirror the energy dominance policies of the previous administration.
Doing so would create abundance, driving down energy prices for all Americans. Producers with no more than $5 million in retail sales of oil and gas in a year account for 83 percent of America's oil production, 90 percent of its natural gas, and natural gas liquids production.
These are small businesses, Mr. Speaker, often locally and independently owned with a handful of employees, but collectively they support 4.5 million American jobs.
Our Republican energy bills help ensure small businesses can continue to operate on Federal lands.
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Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle say that this bill, H.R. 1121, is unnecessary, as the President has not proposed a hydraulic fracturing moratorium. They say it sets a dangerous precedent for limiting the authority of the President and the Secretary of the Interior to manage energy resources on Federal lands.
The fact is, this President, on the campaign trail, said: ``No more, no new fracking.'' This was candidate Biden. We know from what he has done in his first 3-plus years in office, don't necessarily listen to his words, watch his actions. He has done it on mining. He said we were going to mine domestically for our critical minerals. Once he became President, he changed his tune. Now he wants memorandums of understanding with other countries that are adversarial to the United States.
After years of disastrous energy policies by this President, we know we cannot take him for just his word, which is exactly why this bill is necessary. This is especially true, Mr. Speaker, given that the Obama administration's Bureau of Land Management tried to regulate fracking.
The courts ultimately stopped this effort. In the decision, U.S. District Court Judge Skavdahl clearly stated: ``Congress has not delegated to the Department of the Interior the authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing. The BLM's effort to do so through the Fracking Rule is in excess of its statutory authority and contrary to law.''
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Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, my good friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle make statements that fracking is mostly unregulated and the practice can consume millions of gallons of water. They say this is industry first and that the Republicans look to take away and protect public health and combat the climate crisis. That couldn't be further from the truth. Absolutely couldn't be further from the truth.
According to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, member States each have comprehensive laws and regulations to ensure safe operations and protect drinking water sources. They have trained personnel to effectively regulate oil and gas exploration and production.
Mr. Speaker, even President Obama's own EPA found that fracking has no widespread systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States of America. No evidence has arisen that this practice is dangerous, and to say anything else is simply fear-mongering to the American people and pandering to the radical left that would rather have us rely on Iran, Russia, and Venezuela for our energy needs.
Mr. Speaker, one last thing. This President took the sanctions off Iran. Iran is now making $90 billion because those sanctions were taken off. Who do you think is funding the war against Israel? Iran, the top sponsor of terrorism. He took the sanctions off.
When we produce here in the United States of America, it is a win- win, Mr. Speaker. It is the safest, and the cleanest. It employs American technology, American resources, provides American jobs. It helps American families, American communities. We do it better than anybody else.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have continuously said that oil production on Federal lands is at an all- time high. The fact of the matter is that the production is occurring on lands leased by the Trump administration and previous administrations.
I guess my colleagues now support the policies of the Trump administration as best they are trying to take credit for them.
My good friend, Ranking Member McGovern, made this point in the Rules Committee just yesterday. After mentioning that America is a top energy producer, he said: ``Let me be very clear. I am not highlighting these facts because I like them. I find it very troubling that we are producing so much oil. . . . ''
How very sad it is to hear that from my colleagues. Why are they so ashamed that we produce energy here in America? Would they rather us be dependent on Russia, Iran, or Venezuela for oil and natural gas in the same way Democratic policies have made us dependent on China for critical minerals?
We should celebrate American energy independence where, again, we do it cleaner and safer than anybody else in the world with the best labor standards.
Mr. Speaker, let's celebrate the opportunity. Let's be happy the good Lord blessed the United States with these rich minerals and this opportunity to become energy independent and critical mineral dominant.
My friends and neighbors, I want the technology here in the United States. I do not want this country to depend on foreign adversarial nations for our livelihood.
We have learned so much during COVID, Mr. Speaker. We cannot rely on adversarial nations for our energy any longer, nor should our allies.
Listen, one of the things that we hear from my colleagues is that Big Oil is price gouging, which is why energy prices are higher. The fact is, this President's anti-energy agenda has created uncertainty for domestic energy producers and has driven up energy prices for all Americans.
Repeated in-depth investigations by the FTC have shown that changes in gasoline prices are based on market factors and are not due to any illegal behavior.
The price gouging argument is simply a red herring meant to distract the American public from the Biden administration's disastrous energy policies.
The fact of the matter is, when my friends and colleagues talk about transition, wind and solar, they don't want to produce those minerals for those solar panels or windmills here in the United States, Mr. Speaker.
Minnesota has the most mineral wealth of any State in the Nation with the exception of Alaska. Minnesota has the biggest untapped copper and nickel mine in the world, and this administration pulled the leases.
This administration, with support from the Secretary of the Interior, banned 225,000 acres of mining in northeastern Minnesota. Can you believe that? Yet, they will get the minerals from Congo, which uses child slave labor for their energy addiction.
Mr. Speaker, I submit that we have the opportunity today and now. I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us to let the American worker succeed and energy dominance, critical mineral dominance in this country, be made here in America. We need it, this country needs it, and our allies are asking for it.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to cite a 2019 study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute. Their research shows a ban on fracking would eliminate 19 million jobs between 2021 and 2025 while simultaneously reducing the U.S. gross domestic product by $7.1 trillion over that same period.
The Global Energy Institute's research also shows that over the same 2021 through 2025 timeframe, energy prices would skyrocket, with natural gas prices rising by 324 percent, causing household energy bills for the average American to quadruple and the cost of living to increase by $5,600. Additionally, the price of gasoline would double, and government revenues would plummet by almost $2 trillion.
With these sobering facts in mind, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 1121 to prevent the worst case scenario from becoming our reality.
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