Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – This week, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) celebrated House passage of H.J.Res.35, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) that he led alongside Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11), to cut energy costs and support President Trump’s pro-energy agenda. The CRA would overturn the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) efforts to strain independent energy producers by repealing the burdensome Waste Emissions Charge (WEC) for petroleum and natural gas.

“The Waste Emissions Charge was just another unnecessary and wasteful regulation levied by the Biden EPA to go after oil and gas – the lifeblood of our economy,” said Chairman Arrington. “I’m proud to have joined my colleague and neighbor, Rep. August Pfluger, in preserving reliable, low-cost energy produced by our independent oil and gas companies by passing this legislation to repeal the WEC and support President Trump’s pro-growth, energy DOMINANCE agenda.”

“In November, the American people overwhelmingly voted for lower energy prices, and today, House Republicans took another step towards fulfilling that mandate,” said Chairman Pfluger. “In the latest effort to reverse Biden's disastrous energy policies, the House passed my bill to nullify the EPA’s rule implementing the ill-conceived natural gas tax. This tax raises costs on production, discourages investment, and increases energy prices across America. I am looking forward to working toward a full repeal of the underlying statute and continuing to implement President Trump’s pro-energy agenda.”

“Today, House Republicans rolled back the disastrous natural gas tax imposed by Democrats,” said Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. “This overreach has driven up energy prices, hurt domestic natural gas production, and increased reliance on foreign energy — without delivering any so-called environmental benefit. House Republicans are leveraging the Congressional Review Act to support President Trump in undoing the damage of the Biden Administration’s war on American energy.”

“The Biden EPA’s waste emissions charge is a pass-through cost to consumers, raising prices for hardworking Americans and burdening taxpayers while doing little to actually help the environment,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. “Families are already paying too much at the gas pump, the grocery store, in their utility bills, and everywhere else – we can’t raise costs even more with burdensome Washington regulations. Furthermore, the WEC would reduce domestic energy production and increase our dependence on foreign energy sources, threatening our national security. Thankfully, House Republicans passed legislation today to overturn this rule.”

Text of the CRA is available here.

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