RPC Fast Facts: On Energy Policy, House Republicans Lead, Senate Democrats Stall, and the White House Moves Backwards

Over the past two and a half years, gas prices have almost doubled, utility rates have risen, and the unemployment rate has increased to 9.1 percent. In response, House Republicans have passed eight energy-related bills. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are standing still, President Obama is going backwards, and 14 million unemployed Americans are left with higher energy prices and fewer job prospects.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed several energy bills that will create jobs by making domestic energy more accessible, reliable, and cheaper.

·         The Republican House has passed eight standalone bills that would increase onshore and offshore energy production, repeal job-destroying EPA regulations, and reduce regulatory burdens for energy producers and job creators.

·         The House will soon hold several votes to repeal or stop economically harmful EPA regulations including greenhouse gas regulations, Utility MACT, Boiler MACT, Cement MACT, reclassification of coal ash, and regulation of farm dust.

The Democrat-led Senate has yet to pass any meaningful energy bills or stop EPA’s job-killing regulatory agenda despite high unemployment and rising energy prices.

·         Last May, Senate Democrats rejected a common sense bill to increase offshore energy production and improve safety.

·         In April, Senate Democrats defeated an amendment that would have permanently stopped EPA’s backdoor energy tax through regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

President Obama is moving backwards by piling on regulations that will reduce energy production, increase energy prices, and destroy jobs.

·         Gas prices have nearly doubled during the first two years of the Obama Administration due in part to President Obama restricting access to domestic sources of energy.

·         Obama’s EPA is imposing a train wreck of new regulations on manufacturers and energy producers that will destroy millions of jobs and drive up the price of electricity across the country. Millions of consumers and businesses will soon face utility rate increases of 10 to 35 percent due to EPA’s regulatory overreach.