Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

The Biden-Harris administration has continued to convey that America does not come first in their policies. Through reckless energy, mining, transportation, and regulatory policies, this administration has put a burden on Americans who are already struggling to feed and clothe their families. Last week, the Biden-Harris administration published data in the Federal Register which outlined cost figures for five residential energy sources: electricity, natural gas, No. 2 heating oil, propane, and kerosene. This information is routinely published in the spring, so why did the Department of Energy (DOE) drag its feet and wait until mid-October to release this data? Probably because it shows an increase in every single residential energy source since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration – information that completely contradicts their claim to fight for hard-working, tax paying Americans…especially those with fixed and lower incomes.

Because of negligent Biden-Harris policies, our nation is experiencing an energy and mineral crisis. I’ve heard from constituents who are feeling the strain of tight budgets in more places than just the gas pump. Energy affects almost every facet of life: grocery store bills, electricity bills, and keeping homes warm. Additionally, minerals are critical in building everything from our power generation and transmission systems to our phones, laptops, and automobiles. High energy costs lead to inflation which leads to higher interest rates that prevent Americans from purchasing a home, buying a car, and even investing in the growth of our nation’s economy. Residential electricity rates increased 21.4% from 2021 to 2024. Natural gas increased by 25.9%, heating oil by 38%, and kerosene by 47.3%. And if you’re like me, and other folks in rural America who use propane, you’ve seen a staggering 75.4% increase. These numbers communicate a dire message to the American people: the Biden-Harris attack on U.S. energy is real, and they are leaving everyday Americans to pay the price.

At the beginning of this Congress, I proudly introduced legislation alongside Leader Scalise, Chairman Graves, and Chairwoman McMorris Rogers called the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1). This bill would restore American energy and tackle this very energy crisis wrought by the Biden-Harris administration and their reckless policies. While this bill has passed the House on a bipartisan vote, we wait as the bill collects dust in the Senate as millions of Americans continue to feel the burden of rising residential energy costs. Maybe when the current administration sees these numbers, they will realize some things from their failed administration actually need to change. Or maybe they’ll just keep pandering to far left radicals. The Biden-Harris attack on U.S. energy is real and the (delayed release) results according to their own DOE shows Americans are paying steep prices for the administration’s intentional attack on domestic energy. Energy and mining go hand-in-hand in today’s world. Energy security is national security, and when we outsource our energy and mining, we become reliant on our adversaries to supply us, putting our national security at risk.

America has been blessed with an abundance of resources and the technological know-how to be the most efficient, cleanest, and safest producers in the world. The Biden-Harris position has been to shift energy and mining to someone else’s back yard leaving Americans holding the bill and not the good paying jobs and cleaner environment if we were doing it here. Just recently, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the Fourth District of Arkansas is sitting atop one of the largest lithium reserves in the world. America needs all forms of energy and more of it.  Picking winners and losers by using American tax dollars to subsidize favorites and regulations to punish others doesn’t help the environment or our economy. It’s time to stop pandering to far left radicals, put an end to the Biden-Harris policies that cripple our nation, and reclaim American energy dominance.