A coalition of small businesses has backed the Republican effort to lower energy cost for Americans
(The Center Square) – House Republicans passed an energy bill Thursday to roll back President Joe Biden’s crackdown on the energy industry and increase domestic oil and gas production.
The “Lower Energy Costs Act,” which passed 225-204, would also encourage domestic mineral mining over the concerns of environmentalists.
Energy prices have spiked since President Joe Biden took office. The Ukraine war and Biden’s discouragement of domestic pipelines and oil and gas production played a major role, along with rising inflation.
Energy costs have risen much faster than the already high inflation rate since Biden took office.
Democrats opposing the bill pointed to concerns about climate change, and Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has already said the Republican bill is “dead on arrival.”
A coalition of small businesses has backed the Republican effort to lower energy cost for Americans.
“Small businesses continue to face various economic headwinds, including increased energy costs,” said Kevin Kuhlman, National Federation of Independent Businesses Vice President of Federal Government Relations. “This legislation will help small businesses nationwide by increasing energy production and streamlining the permitting process for energy-related projects.”
The NFIB pointed to their own research, which reports that 79% of small business employers say that “rising fuel prices (gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, etc.) are a substantial contributor to higher costs.”
“Nearly all (96%) of small employers reported higher gas and fuel prices have some degree of a negative impact on their business,” the group said. “In an NFIB member ballot, more than 88% of small business owners support streamlining regulations to facilitate the production and transport of oil, natural gas, and other energy sources in the United States.”
Daniel Turner, founder and executive director at Power The Future, applauded its passage.
“After a long two years of the green climate cult of the Biden administration, it is a breath of fresh air to finally see a pro-energy plan come out of Washington, D.C.,” Turner said in a statement. “Every member who voted against HR-1 voted to support China’s dominance of green energy markets. Every member who voted no voted to support Vladimir Putin’s dominance of energy in Europe. Every member who voted no voted against America.”
Originally published by The Center Square. Republished with permission.
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