Oversight Hearing | Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans
2025-04-02
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Source: Congress.gov
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and investigations will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess of the subcommittee at any time. The subcommittee is meeting today to hear testimony on unleashing the golden age of American energy dominance. Under the Committee Rule 4F, any oral opening statements at hearings are limited to the chairman and the ranking member. I therefore ask unanimous consent that all other members' statements be made part of the hearing record if they are submitted in accordance with Committee Rule 3O. Without objection, so ordered. I ask unanimous consent the following members to be allowed to sit and participate in today's hearing, the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Stauber, the gentleman from West Virginia, Mr. Moore. Without objection, so ordered. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. Good morning, everyone. I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. I'm excited about the opportunity to have a conversation about unleashing the golden age of American energy dominance. Now, while we may have some disagreements across the aisle about the best path forward for making energy in America great again, I do think we can agree that making energy prices more affordable for all Americans is something we can all get behind. With that being said, the Biden administration's unprecedented four-year war on American energy made it nearly impossible to produce domestic energy on public lands and was nothing short of catastrophic. This catastrophe was made even worse by frivolous and vexatious litigation intended to not only slow energy exploration and production to a halt, but also drive the cost of energy projects up by millions of dollars. Right now, we have a great opportunity to unlock the vast potential of all American energy sources from onshore and offshore oil and gas leases to permitting new mines right here in America to investing in natural gas projects, including in my home state of Georgia.
These are important steps that work not only to drive down the cost of energy for households, but also to provide a reliable source of income for both state and federal governments. For example, The projected cost of energy consumption in Georgia per capita in 2025 is $1,614. By enacting policies that produce more energy here in the United States, energy prices will begin to go down. According to some estimates, households in Georgia could save $484 per year with a 10% decline in energy cost. With a 50% price decline in energy costs, that number goes up to $2,420 per household. Now these are real numbers in the pockets of Georgia citizens, and these numbers are achievable. Another interesting example, Georgians will spend $17.8 billion in total energy consumption this year. Enacting more proactive domestic energy policies would drive down the cost of energy for families at home in Georgia, cutting costs by as much as $8.9 billion. Now, if we look at both onshore and offshore lease sales and the impact of these leases on the federal revenue, the numbers are incredible. For example, a scenario in which we leased just two times the number of baseline sales, which is not much, that increases the receipts of the federal government by $44 billion. Now, as we continue to expand the number of those onshore and offshore leases, that number could go up as much as $271 billion. Again, this is a very achievable scenario. Increasing revenue to the federal government isn't limited to the production of oil and gas. Minerals play a critical role here as well. Georgia's natural resources include dozens of industrial mines, each of which have thousands of uses. And though minerals are mined in 133 of Georgia's 159 counties, demand for minerals will continue to rapidly outstrip supply and production absent major change.
This is fueled by regular market growth as well as investments in new technologies and data centers. With the amount of state and federal land available throughout the United States, including in my home state of Georgia, we have a great opportunity to invest in sustainable, environmentally friendly mining practices here at home in a way that will also fortify our federal estate. Now is the time to prioritize permitting these critical mining, oil and gas investments here at home, which will allow not only a great return on federal revenue, but also provide for a more dependable and robust energy supply chain upon which we depend on every day. I hope today that we can have a robust and insightful discussion from those whose lives are impacted daily by decisions that have been made here in Washington and look forward to working with the new administration on policies that improve the lives and pocketbooks of all Americans in the future. With that, I yield to the ranking member for her opening statement. Thank you, Mr.
Chair, and thank you to all our witnesses for being here today. Today's hearing on so-called energy dominance presents us with a clear choice. We double down on fossil fuels that pollute our communities and drive up costs for working Americans or invest in a clean energy future that creates jobs, strengthens national security and lowers household energy bills. For decades, the fossil fuel industry has devastated frontline communities, leaving them with exorbitant health costs and environmental cleanup bills. Pollution disproportionately harms low-income and minority communities, leading to higher rates of asthma, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses. And as a pulmonary critical care physician who has taken care of these folks, I can attest that this is not made-up fantasy. This is real and experienced every day across this country. In Louisiana's Cancer Alley, a predominantly black community, cancer risks are nearly 50 times the national average due to the concentration of oil refineries and chemical plants. Indigenous lands are eroding from pipeline infrastructure and historic black neighborhoods have been abandoned due to toxic decontamination contamination. And these are exactly the kinds of costs that are ignored by most economic models that are supposed to estimate the financial impact of oil and gas extraction.
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