Committee Democrats Advance Policies Driving More Americans Into Energy Poverty

Press Release

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Democrats held a markup on H.R. 2021, the Environmental Justice for All Act, sponsored by Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.). Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

"I recently spoke with a company that is ready to hire more than 3,000 Americans to fill high-paying, skilled positions in the oil and gas sector. They've passed rigorous environmental reviews and are ready to ramp up construction of their multi-billion dollar facility that would allow the export of clean, American natural gas to our friends around the world. This would have multiple benefits, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to improving national security, to lowering global fertilizer costs. So what are they waiting for? Clearance from a federal regulator for the increased tailpipe exhaust in the parking lot from hiring more workers. One zealous bureaucrat is indefinitely stonewalling jobs that would give working-class Americans a reliable paycheck and provide a much-needed economic boost to the area. These are the kinds of regulatory burdens that trap people in cycles of poverty, eliminating opportunities through a system that is designed to keep them down. No amount of cleverly-titled legislation will change that when its sole purpose is saddling Americans with even more hurdles and regulations. I, along with many of my committee colleagues, represent rural and low-income communities across America. We are actively working to find ways to give them opportunities to live out their dreams. Unfortunately, many of these dreams will be impossible until congressional Democrats stop their war on our natural resources and work with us on responsible, achievable goals that allow both our environment and economy to thrive."

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