Cassidy Energy Legislation Passes House

Press Release

Today, Congressman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) applauded the House of Representatives for passing the American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs Act.

Dr. Cassidy offered the following statement:

"Energy drives Louisiana's economy. Common sense solutions to lower the price of gas, groceries and energy for Louisiana families have passed the House, but are stuck in Harry Reid's Senate. Increasing Louisiana's share of revenue for coastal restoration projects, rolling back Obama's EPA regulations and building the Keystone pipeline are just a few ways to help businesses prosper and create jobs. We should be rolling out the red carpet for these jobs, not the red tape."

Included in the bill was initiatives championed by Dr. Cassidy, including:

The Energy Consumers Relief Act

Authored by Dr. Cassidy, this legislation will help protect consumers from higher energy costs by increasing transparency for major EPA regulations. It requires that before EPA finalizes any new energy-related rules estimated to cost more than $1 billion, the agency must submit a report to Congress detailing certain cost, benefit, energy price, and job impacts. The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with other relevant agencies, then must make a determination regarding the impacts of the rule. EPA would be prohibited from finalizing certain rules if the rule is determined to cause significant adverse effects to the economy.

Cassidy Revenue Sharing Amendment

Included in the Lowering Gas Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act, this will lift the revenue sharing cap placed on Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA) from $500 million to $1 billion. Dr. Cassidy has been pushing the Senate to act on lifting this cap to increase the amount of money that Louisiana receives as its share of royalties from oil and gas drilling. This is the third time the amendment has passed the House, and is waiting to be brought up in the Senate.

The Northern Route Approval Act

A co-sponsor of the bill, this commonsense legislation aims to end the regulatory delays blocking construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and finally allow the job-creating project to proceed after nearly six years of review. The bill would eliminate the need for a Presidential Permit, address all other necessary federal permits, and limit litigation that could further block the project's construction.

The Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act

A cosponsor of the bill, this legislation will help speed up the Department of Energy's approval of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. Increasing U.S. LNG exports would help boost the U.S. economy while increasing global energy security, and this legislation would bring certainty to the export approval process to ensure the U.S. does not miss this window of opportunity.

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