Sarah Henderson

Americans are suffering the consequences of misguided energy policies. Fuel and utility costs are on an uphill rollercoaster ride as supply shortages, and market manipulation from bad actors like OPEC, Russia, and China are causing disruptions and price fluctuations globally.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  America is blessed with abundant resources; when we use those resources, we control our economic and national security destinies.  When we don’t, we simply play into the hands of OPEC, Putin, and the Chinese Communist Party.

I’ve heard from Arkansans who know the reality these misguided policies have created at home. With the cost of energy up by nearly 40 percent, family budgets are being stretched thin in more places than just the pump.  It’s easy to see how energy affects everything when we stop to consider how increased energy costs get multiplied at the grocery store, on the electric bill, and in virtually everything we purchase.  High energy costs lead to inflation that leads to higher interest rates that affect the ability to purchase a home or a car and even devalue our retirement accounts.  Energy costs permeate every inch of our economy.

That’s why I’m taking the lead with other House Republicans to take back control and put America first. Last year, we made a Commitment to America, and we made a commitment to deliver on an economy that’s strong – and that starts with restoring America’s energy independence.

As chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, I worked alongside House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves to introduce the Lower Energy Costs Act. Speaker Kevin McCarthy assigned this bill as H.R. 1 – to show the American people that this is our #1 priority. We will not stand idle while our country is being damaged. We’ve heard from constituents who are feeling the pain of the energy crisis, and we’re taking action with a bold vision and robust energy policy.

There is a misguided civil war on American energy, and it’s time for it to stop. Claiming to be warriors for the climate while making America dependent on energy and minerals from the worst polluters on the planet is irrational and does more harm to the environment than to save it.  A “not in my backyard” mentality regarding energy production and mining may give someone a warm fuzzy feeling. Still, it’s significantly damaging our economy, national security, and the health of our climate and environment. Rather than tapping into the vast energy and mineral resources our country is blessed with, our current policies are making it even harder for American energy producers to build new projects and capacity across the board, including renewable and non-carbon-emitting energy projects. Our policies are riddled with burdensome and often impossible-to-achieve regulations that, instead of creating more U.S. supply, result in market forces that make us dependent on our foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party, OPEC, and Russia.

Our Lower Energy Costs Act will break down the barriers and allow us to safely and responsibly unleash the full power of American energy. House Republicans know that when we produce energy here at home, we do it cleaner, safer, and more efficiently than anywhere else in the world.  It’s plain common sense that producing our energy and mined materials at home with the best environmental standards on the planet is better for the environment, and the wealth created will go into the bank accounts of American workers and American businesses…not in the coffers of dictators, communists, and despots that despise our freedom.

We are putting this issue front and center for the American people, and this legislation will be the jumpstart we need to reverse the course we are headed down. H.R.1 is full of science-based, common-sense solutions that will cut down red tape and unleash American energy production.

It’s long overdue that we deliver on our promises to the American people to lower energy costs, boost our competitiveness on a global level, and unleash American energy independence. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to bring down energy costs for our nation and strengthen our national security by securing our energy independence.