Amata Cosponsors American Energy Independence from Russia Act

Statement

Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is an original cosponsor of a bill introduced this week, the American Energy Independence from Russia Act.

"The rising costs of fuel are sure to be heavily felt in island locations like ours where it must be shipped in, and rising fuel costs always cause food prices to increase," said Congresswoman Amata. "The U.S. has abundant energy sources, but has constricted our own supply, while current world events are an important reminder that energy independence is both a national security and an economic issue."

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Congresswoman Amata and Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman.jpg
Congresswoman Amata and Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (file photo)

Yesterday, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and other Senators, also called for stepping up U.S. energy development in light of Putin's invasion of Ukraine and Russia's role in energy exports.

U.S. oil imports from Russia reached an 11-year high in 2021, at more than 10 percent of total U.S. crude oil and petroleum products imports. The U.S. and our allies are increasingly and unnecessarily reliant on natural gas, critical minerals, and other strategically important natural resources from potentially unreliable or adversarial sources, like Russia. Meanwhile, U.S. pipelines and domestic infrastructure face a wide range of self-imposed limits.

The bill, led by Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, takes steps to strengthen U.S. energy security, and reduce reliance on Russia.

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Congresswoman Amata with Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (file photo).jpg
(file photo) Congresswoman Amata with Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

The legislation encourages domestic production of oil and natural gas to offset imports; calls for the administration to submit an energy security plan to Congress within 30 days to evaluate U.S. oil and natural gas imports, identify importing countries that could pose an energy security risk, and restore domestic production of oil and natural gas; approves the Keystone XL pipeline to restore thousands of jobs and 830,000 barrels per day of crude oil to U.S. refineries; boosts U.S. natural gas production to add liquified natural gas (LNG) exports to the European market, which purchases from Russia; plans for the replacement of the oil drawn down from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; revises leasing and permitting of energy and minerals development on certain Federal lands and waters; and protects domestic oil, gas, and critical minerals production.

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