The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee recently approved legislation led by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) that aims to restore America’s energy independence. The bill now heads to the full U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.
“The Biden administration keeps breaking records — they’ve blocked new American offshore energy projects, proposed fewer offshore oil and gas leases than any president in history, and forced every American to become more reliant on energy produced outside the United States,” Rep. Graves said on Tuesday. “Quite simply, we can’t afford President Biden’s disastrous energy policies.”
The House Natural Resources Committee on Oct. 26 voted 22-17 to advance the Bringing Reliable Investment into Domestic Gulf Energy (BRIDGE) Production Act of 2023, H.R. 5616. Rep. Graves sponsored H.R. 5616 on Sept. 24 with four Republican original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), to require the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to conduct certain offshore lease sales, according to the text of the bill.
Specifically, H.R. 5616 would ensure the continued supply of offshore energy by requiring the administration to hold 10 lease sales over the next five years, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Graves’ staff.
“Utility bills and gasoline at the pump are unaffordable because President Biden is blocking American energy projects,” said Rep. Graves. “It shouldn’t take an act of Congress for the president to care about lowering gas prices, utility costs, and emissions. Our bill pushes for American energy production and jobs to be created right off the coast of Louisiana.”
In the congressman’s home state of Louisiana, offshore lease sales translate into revenue for coastal restoration, hurricane protection, and flood control projects, says the summary, which noted that the Biden administration’s current domestic energy policies threaten funding for Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, making residents more vulnerable.
“It is important to highlight this isn’t just about skyrocketing energy costs,” Rep. Graves said. “Blocking our energy production slashes funding for flood control, coastal restoration, and hurricane protection. We can’t let that happen.”