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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1167 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1167

 Recognizing the benefits of natural gas to the United States economy 
   and environment, and recognizing natural gas as an affordable and 
                           ``green'' energy.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 2024

Mr. Balderson submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Recognizing the benefits of natural gas to the United States economy 
   and environment, and recognizing natural gas as an affordable and 
                           ``green'' energy.

Whereas Public Law 117-169 (commonly referred to as the ``Inflation Reduction 
        Act of 2022'') established a punitive fee on methane emissions, which 
        will result in a regressive tax on all Americans, including low-income 
        and fixed-income Americans;
Whereas a natural gas tax or methane emissions fee results in higher costs to 
        natural gas customers, including families, farmers, and small 
        businesses;
Whereas any natural gas tax or methane emissions fee will disproportionately 
        impact natural gas producing regions, and businesses across the natural 
        gas supply will be harmed by government-imposed taxes and fees;
Whereas, since 2005, two-thirds of the power sector greenhouse gas emissions 
        reductions are a direct result of the switch to natural gas;
Whereas, because of increased innovation and technology in the natural gas 
        industry, United States methane emissions were 10 percent lower in 2020 
        compared to 2005, despite the United States increasing production of 
        natural gas by nearly 100 percent between 2005 to 2020;
Whereas, according to the Energy Information Administration, using natural gas 
        to generate energy results in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air 
        pollutants, including carbon dioxide, compared to other fossil fuels;
Whereas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, since 1970, combined 
        emissions of criteria and precursor pollutants have dropped by 78 
        percent in the United States;
Whereas, in 2021, 45 percent of the European Union's natural gas imports were 
        from Russia, accounting for 155,000,000,000 cubic meters of liquefied 
        natural gas;
Whereas, on March 9, 2022, the European Commission approved a Complementary 
        Climate Delegated Act that specifies certain nuclear and natural gas 
        activities are covered by the European Union taxonomy and thus 
        considered ``green'' investments;
Whereas the European Commission's Complementary Climate Delegated Act allows 
        natural gas and nuclear energy activities to be considered as renewable 
        or green investments, which will spur private and public investments in 
        natural gas and nuclear energy and make Europe less reliant on Russian 
        energy in the future;
Whereas, on March 25, 2022, the United States announced an agreement with the 
        European Union for the United States to supply the European Union with 
        up to 15,000,000,000 additional cubic meters of liquefied natural gas by 
        the end of 2022;
Whereas, in November 2022, an energy security agreement between the United 
        States and European Union implied that Europe would seek up to 
        147,000,000,000 cubic meters of liquified natural gas imports in 2023;
Whereas, on January 26, 2024, President Biden announced a ban on the approval 
        process of liquified natural gas export permits to countries that do not 
        have a free trade agreement with the United States;
Whereas United States liquified natural gas exports helped reduce natural gas 
        prices in Europe by over 83 percent from 2022 levels;
Whereas the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory 
        estimates that American liquified natural gas is 41 percent cleaner than 
        Russian national gas;
Whereas the International Energy Agency predicts global demand for natural gas 
        will increase by 41 percent by 2050, and an additional 240,000,000,000 
        cubic meters per year of liquified natural gas export capacity is needed 
        by 2050;
Whereas increased usage of natural gas domestically will also reduce United 
        States dependence on foreign energy and strengthen United States 
        national security; and
Whereas natural gas is abundant in the United States, and the Energy Information 
        Administration estimates the United States has enough dry natural gas to 
        last nearly a century, and the potential for even more with advances in 
        technology and exploration: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes natural gas produced in the United States as 
        an affordable and ``green'' energy;
            (2) recognizes that the United States should be committed 
        to an ``all of the above'' approach to meet United States 
        energy needs, and that natural gas is necessary for the United 
        States to be energy independent;
            (3) encourages the Biden administration, including the 
        Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior, to 
        support United States production of natural gas and natural gas 
        infrastructure and identify and remove barriers to the 
        production of natural gas; and
            (4) opposes efforts to limit, delay, or ban the approval of 
        new and existing liquified natural gas export facilities in the 
        United States.
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