Edwards on House floor: Put American energy dominance first

Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) today delivered remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act.

This legislation is designed to increase domestic energy production and lower energy costs for Americans. The House is expected to vote on this legislation Friday.

The remarks as prepared are below, or you may watch online here.

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act.

"U.S. energy independence is critical to meeting domestic demand and growing needs from the rest of the world.

"Rather than pulling out all the stops to keep domestic production moving forward to meet increased demand, the Biden administration has instead begged the OPEC cartel to boost their output, culminating in a failed appeal from President Biden to the Saudi Crown Prince in July of last year. To me, this is exactly why we are here in support of H.R. 1 today.

"As a result of the historic increases in inflation under the Biden administration, the average American family is spending an extra $395 to purchase the same monthly necessities as they did a year ago. In November 2022, one in six families were behind on utility bills, and we aren’t out of the woods yet as natural gas prices rose over 14 percent last month. This is especially dangerous, as 47 percent of U.S. households use natural gas to heat their homes.

"The Lower Energy Costs Act seeks to reverse the troubling energy policy strategy that the Biden administration has carried out and prioritizes American energy dominance ahead of misguided Green New Deal-style policies. Mr. Speaker, I urge a yes vote on the Lower Energy Costs Act."