Work Highlights of Western Caucus

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to be here. This little podium seems to have a mind of its own, so I will leave it down so it doesn't scare us all again.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues in the Western Caucus for leading the charge to strengthen rural America's future.

As a fourth-generation North Dakotan, I have seen how the hard work of our energy and agriculture producers fuels our economy, strengthens our communities, and secures our very way of life.

That is why on Monday, I introduced a resolution to overturn the Biden administration's reinstatement of the Once-in-Always-in rule. This is a shortsighted, bureaucratic mandate that punishes energy producers, manufacturers, and small businesses for investing in emissions reduction.

This rule permanently classifies certain industrial facilities as major sources of hazardous air pollutants, even if they take meaningful steps to reduce emissions below the Federal thresholds. That makes no sense. Facilities that make major investments to reduce emissions should be rewarded, not locked into outdated, costly regulations that discourage further improvements.

By refusing to let businesses reclassify after making progress, this rule removes any real incentive to invest in cleaner technologies. Instead of supporting innovation, it sends a clear message: Don't even bother.

Democrats like to use the mantra of hope and change. This regulatory approach says there is no hope, so don't change. That is not environmental stewardship. That is Washington overreach.

The United States has reduced emissions more than any other nation since 2005, all while leading the world in energy production. We should be building on that success, not undermining it with policies like this outdated, overly burdensome Biden regulation that stifle investment and progress.

North Dakota is proof that responsible energy production and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. It is not one or the other. Our State has never violated Federal air quality standards. I will say that again. Our State has never violated Federal air quality standards, while being one of the largest energy producers in the whole country. This is a testament to the more than $2 billion our energy producers have invested in emissions control technologies. They did that because they took their responsibility seriously. They want to be good stewards of our resources and of our air and water.

American businesses are dedicated to protecting the health, safety, and vibrancy of their communities. What they need is regulatory certainty, not a rule that locks them into compliance with outdated standards even after they have done the right thing. This is about more than just one burdensome regulation. It is about standing up for the industries that power our economy and rejecting Washington's one-size- fits-all approach.

American energy solutions are climate solutions. American energy producers are providing the solutions that are going to solve energy needs and environmental needs for the world over. Let's encourage investment in technology, not support regulations that make it impossible to do business.

I am proud to lead this effort in the House, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Let's restore regulatory certainty, the number one cry from the industry that I meet with. We need regulatory certainty. Let's send a clear message that we stand with American energy producers, farmers, manufacturers, and we stand with innovation.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation has been blessed abundantly with natural resources. Misguided regulations and policies are strangling the very people in our Nation who are building and producing everything that we need. They are strangling the people who create jobs, who produce the products, the food, who pay taxes, who employ people. People make our communities strong. We need to stop doing that. We need to correct course in our approach for government and regulations.

Our Republican House Conference, the President, and the Senate Republicans are committed to doing this for America and to making our Nation, our States, our energy producers, our farmers, our manufacturers, and our communities great again.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source