Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024
Floor Speech
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Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Simpson for his very responsible leadership.
I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4821, a very fiscally responsible Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
I represent the Ninth District of Pennsylvania where part of that district includes the Marcellus shale, one of the largest reserves of clean natural gas in the world.
Not only does the natural gas industry support over 250,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, but it also contributes $24 billion to the Commonwealth's GDP, meaning Biden's continued assault on American energy, including the natural gas industry, is truly an assault on Pennsylvania's workforce and economy.
Since taking office, the Biden administration has taken many actions to weaken the natural gas industry by blocking pipeline construction, implementing burdensome regulations, and issuing costly new rules and taxes. This makes foreign producers with less pollutant controls far more competitive within the energy industry. Many of these nations where these producers exist use these funds to fund terrorist activities and fund Vladimir Putin's war. We should take these things into consideration, Mr. Chairman.
While this administration seeks to limit American natural gas, despite it being 50 percent cleaner than other fossil fuels, this appropriations bill supports domestic energy production because Republicans recognize we must embrace an all-of-the-above but also all- of-the-below solution to achieve energy independence and dominance.
This legislation requires resumption of gas lease sales on previously restricted Federal lands, and it also prohibits a number of onerous regulations, such as the EPA's clean power rule that would be detrimental to American energy production.
Among other provisions in the legislation, this legislation will, Mr. Chairman, benefit the American consumers, farmers, manufacturers, small businesses, the U.S. economy as a whole.
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