The House Natural Resources Committee today passed three energy bills with bipartisan support that are a part of House Republicans' American Energy Initiative. These bills (H.R. 1229, H.R. 1230 and H.R. 1231) will expand American energy production, create jobs and lower gasoline prices by reversing Obama Administration policies that have placed our American energy resources off-limits.

“We’re actively working to address rising gasoline prices that are hurting families and small businesses by moving legislation to increase American energy production," said Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04). "For the past two years the Obama Administration has actively blocked access to our American energy resources, increasing our reliance on foreign countries to meet our energy needs and costing American jobs. I hope the full House will soon consider these bills to unlock our energy resources in order to lower energy costs, create good-paying jobs and strengthen our national security.”

Background:

H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act, passed the Committee by a bipartisan 27 to 16 vote. It would end the Administration’s de facto moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico in a safe, responsible, transparent manner by setting firm time-lines for considering permits to drill. It reforms current law by requiring the Secretary to issue a permit to drill and also requiring the Secretary to conduct a safety review.

H.R. 1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, passed the Committee by a bipartisan 29 to 14 vote. It would require the Administration to move forward promptly to conduct offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Virginia that the Obama Administration has delayed or canceled.

Finally, H.R. 1231, the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act, passed the Committee by a bipartisan 29 to 14 vote. It would lift the President’s ban on new offshore drilling by requiring the Administration to move forward in the 2012-2017 lease plan with energy production in areas containing the most oil and natural gas resources. The bill sets a production goal of 3 million barrels of oil per day by 2027, which would reduce foreign imports by nearly one-third.

###

Printable PDF of this document