On Thursday, the House approved a comprehensive energy package aiming to dismantle virtually all of President Biden's climate change initiatives. Four Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the bill, which passed 225 to 204, with one Republican voting against it.
The extensive Republican bill, called the "Lower Energy Costs Act," intends to significantly increase domestic production of oil, natural gas, and coal while expediting the permitting process for pipelines, refineries, and other projects. Furthermore, the bill aims to increase the production of essential minerals, such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, used in electric vehicles, computers, and cellphones.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, one of the bill's main authors, stated, "Families are struggling because of President Biden's war on American energy." He added that the GOP bill would "unleash those resources so we can produce energy in America."
Democrats criticized the bill as a handout to major oil corporations. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, accused Republicans of refusing to hold polluters accountable for their damage to the environment and climate.
President Biden has threatened to veto the energy bill if it reaches his desk, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared it "dead on arrival" in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy argued that the GOP bill "restores American energy leadership by repealing unnecessary taxes and overregulation on American energy producers." He also claimed that it would simplify construction in America by setting a two-year time limit on environmental reviews, which currently take an average of seven years.
Democrats countered by characterizing the GOP plan as a veiled attempt to reward oil companies and other energy producers that have donated millions to Republican campaigns. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona called the bill the "Polluters Over People Act" and a "nearly 200-page love letter to polluting industries."
Schumer described the measure as "a giveaway to Big Oil pretending to be an energy package" and criticized the Republican bill for repealing the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and other parts of the climate and health care law passed by Democrats last year.