On September 21st and 22nd , KIOGA met with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) – Chair of the Republican House Conference. We will also meet with several members of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) including Representatives Ron Estes (R-KS), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), MarkWayne Mullin (R-OK), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Steve Palazzo (R-MS). HEAT is a coalition of lawmakers in Congress focused on promoting energy policies that address energy pricing, create new job opportunities, and strengthen our national security through promotion of American energy independence.
On the House Democrat side, KIOGA met with members of the House Democrat Oil & Gas Caucus including caucus chair Vicente Gonzales (D-TX) and caucus members Filemon Vela (D-TX), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Colin Allred (D-TX), Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Lou Correa (D-CA). After our meeting with the House Democrat Oil & Gas Caucus, Chairman Gonzales said he would draft a letter to be signed by members of the caucus and send it to Senator Manchin on the Senate side. The House Democrat Oil & Gas Caucus Letter said . . .
We firmly believe that the budget reconciliation bill should not unduly disadvantage any industry, and oppose the targeting of U.S. oil, natural gas, and refining with increased taxes and fees and the exclusion of natural gas from clean energy initiatives. These inequitable policies will cost American jobs, move America farther away from energy independence, and will slow the country’s move toward a lower carbon future.
On the U.S. Senate Side, KIOGA met with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Environment & Natural Resources (ENR) Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-WV), Republican Ranking ENR Committee member John Barrasso (R-WY), and ENR Committee member Angus King (I-ME). We will also be meeting with the Republican Ranking Senate Finance Committee member Mike Crapo (R-ID).
In all the meetings, we urged NO votes on the reconciliation bill in general. Cross told the policymakers the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill includes numerous items that would decimate American oil and natural gas producers. The reconciliation package would destroy jobs, weaken America’s geopolitical standing, and impose crushing new energy costs on Americans who can least afford to pay. The small businesses that make up the America’s independent oil and gas industry are under assault by Speaker Pelosi and the Progressives in the Democratic Caucus. From elimination of percentage depletion and intangible drilling costs (IDC) to implementation of a new “methane emissions fee,” everything is on the table as Speaker Pelosi looks for ways to hamper American oil and natural gas producers. These proposals will cost thousands of jobs across the country and harm not only oil and natural gas workers, but the communities that rely on the economic activity generated by this production.
Although the supporters of the bill claim these efforts are focused on environmental protection, this legislation has nothing to do with addressing climate change or protecting the environment. Cross urged all the policymakers to vote no on this ill-advised proposal.
We also urged the policymakers to keep a methane emission fee out of the reconciliation process and how a methane emission fee would be a wrong path to manage methane. KIOGA updated several of our white papers and reference material on oil and gas taxes, methane fees, and provided this information to all policymakers and staff. We also submitted a formal letter opposing a methane fee or tax as well as a formal letter urging the policymakers to vote NO on the reconciliation bill. If you would like to see a copy of any of the reference material and/or letters, please contact us at holly@kioga.org and we will send you a copy.
