FIRST ON FOX: House Republican leaders are planning a legislative blitz next week targeting President Biden’s energy policies, according to new details obtained by Fox News Digital.
An overview of bills that House leadership will have lawmakers vote on includes legislation to repeal the Biden administration’s natural gas tax introduced by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and a push to block Biden from banning fracking by Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C.
Another bill expected for a vote next week would curb the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a $27 billion investment of taxpayer funds that the EPA is able to award as grants and loans for green energy projects, by House GOP Policy Committee Chair Gary Palmer, R-Ala. Critics of that program have called it a slush fund for progressive energy policies.
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Other legislation next week aims to tackle water permitting reform and the federal government’s ability to block oil and gas leasing on certain lands, Fox News Digital was told.
More symbolic rebukes of Biden’s energy policies are expected as well. Separate votes are expected on resolutions to denounce the president’s so-called "anti-American energy policies" and to reject the idea of a carbon tax, introduced by Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., respectively.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., declared that next week would be "energy week" in the House of Representatives during a press conference at the House GOP’s annual member retreat.
"Next week on the House floor, we're dedicating the week to what we're going to call energy week, bringing bills on the House floor…that will promote American energy, to lower costs for families who…know there's no reason they should be paying more for energy," Scalise said in West Virginia on Thursday.
He accused Biden of "benefiting countries like Russia" with his energy policies at a time when his administration is also working to aid Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Scalise specifically singled out the White House’s decision to temporarily curb exports of liquified natural gas (LNG).
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"When Joe Biden does a ban on LNG exports, as in essence he did, it hurts LNG production in America. But it emboldens countries like Russia," Scalise said.
"Why would you want to help [Russian President Vladimir Putin] fund his war machine by giving him more leverage over Europe, when we were providing LNG in America to our friends in Europe?"
When reached for comment regarding Scalise's remarks, the White House referred Fox News Digital to a fact sheet on the LNG decision, which reads in part:
"The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to non-FTA countries until the Department of Energy can update the underlying analyses for authorizations. […] The pause, which is subject to exception for unanticipated and immediate national security emergencies, will provide the time to integrate these critical considerations. The U.S. is already the number one exporter of LNG worldwide – with U.S. LNG exports expected to double by the end of this decade. At the same time, the U.S. remains unwavering in our commitment to supporting our allies around the world."
