A bill that would scrap the "natural gas tax" proposal in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is being introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Under his bill, the IRA provisions that enable the Environmental Protection Agency to impose fines on energy companies that emit methane above government mandated limits would be repealed, the Daily Caller reported.
"Joe Biden and Biden officials have proven time and time again that they care more about their radical climate agenda than the needs of the American people," Cruz said.
"They have driven up inflation and jeopardized American jobs and energy security, all of which would be made significantly worse by the methane emissions fee in the Inflation Reduction Act. This fee will particularly harm Texas by undermining producers in the Permian Basin and across the state."
The Independent Petroleum Producers of America, the American Exploration and Production Council, the U.S. Oil and Gas Association, and the American Petroleum Institute are among organizations supporting Cruz's plan.
A similar bill to repeal the IRA's natural gas tax was approved by House Republicans in March.
"President Biden's tax on natural gas production does nothing but make it harder to produce American-made energy while driving up costs," Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, who authored the House bill, said. "Congress must take action to repeal this looming regulatory disaster.
"The House has already passed my legislation to repeal the tax, and I am proud to work alongside Sen. Cruz to get it to the president's desk. Energy security is national security."
Meanwhile, last week the Senate voted to pass a resolution Cruz authored disapproving of a Department of Energy rule on gas furnace efficiency standards. The rule would effectively ban non-condensing gas furnace models, dramatically increasing costs for American families.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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