Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to ``Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems: Procedures for Facilitating Compliance, Including Netting and Exemptions''

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition, strong opposition, to this resolution.

For the past 5 weeks, Elon Musk and congressional Republicans have been running around calling any Federal spending debt they don't like waste. The empowerment exercise of Elon Musk is a rather interesting saga. He is a person who did not have a background check, was not confirmed or had a process of approval through the United States Senate, and is functioning through a ghost agency of government oversight of efficiency. He is now the determinant to go forward and reduce government in a way that is not utilizing the strength of inspectors general or institutional memory that can best guide the academics to do that with the greatest degree of efficiency. Parliamentary Inquiry

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Mr. TONKO. Sure.

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I was using that to set in context my comments because, again, waste addressed in an efficiency exercise is important, but ironically, today, we are finally on the House floor talking about an EPA rule that reduces actual, literal waste, and Republicans want to undo it.

The oil and gas industry is the largest industrial source of methane pollution. Each year, oil and gas operators emit the equivalent of $2 billion worth of wasted natural gas, and that can come via venting, perhaps flaring, and leaks. The methane polluter fee makes certain that companies are held accountable for their waste.

This is an effort to provide for efficiency for the general public because methane waste is not only exacerbating climate change, but it is also bad for Americans, especially through their energy bills.

Consumers still pay for natural gas that is wasted, but this resolution will let those polluters off the hook. It also hurts American companies that are innovating new technologies enabling leak detection and repair, creating whole new pollution reduction industries.

These new technologies are turning waste into economic value, all while protecting our environment.

I suggest that that is an exercise we should all embrace, but oil and gas industry polluters aren't willing to take meaningful mitigation actions voluntarily if it eats into their bottom lines.

It is why we have historically enacted environmental laws to make sure polluters pay for the damage that they do to the public. The methane polluter fee is the next chapter of that environmental success story by incentivizing companies to perform leak detections and repairs that provide high-quality and good-paying jobs that employ thousands of Americans across our great country.

We should be holding polluters accountable, lowering energy costs for hardworking Americans, and supporting new domestic industries, but when it comes down to a choice between reducing everyday Americans' energy bills or lining the pockets of oil and gas executives, Republicans will choose Big Oil each and every time.

Let's stop wasting methane without consequence, and let's not leave American consumers to foot the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose this resolution. Parliamentary Inquiry

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