Republicans unveil effort blocking Biden’s crackdown on oil, gas drilling

FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate is introducing a bill Thursday to overturn President Biden’s environmental regulations targeting oil and gas drilling.

The bill takes aim at rules the Environmental Protection Agency finalized late last year to curb methane and other air pollutants generated by the fossil fuel sector. The effort is being led by Texas Republican Reps. Jodey Arrington and August Pfluger and Tracey Mann, R-Kan., in the House and Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., in the Senate.

“The overly broad and burdensome methane rule is yet another example of President Biden weaponizing the regulatory state to appease climate activists at the expense of the American people,” Arrington said. 

“One of the only promises President Biden has followed through on is his campaign vow to end fossil fuels,” Pfluger said. “This methane rule imposes unworkable burdensome restrictions on energy producers in regions like the Permian Basin that I represent and others around the nation.”

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“Since his first day in office, Biden has unleashed a whole-of-government assault on domestic energy production, the lifeblood of our economy and cornerstone of our national security,” Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said in a statement. (Getty Images)

Mann argued that the EPA’s regulations would ultimately “crush” oil and gas producers, driving energy prices higher for consumers. 

Overall, under the regulations – announced during the latest United Nations climate summit as part of a global crackdown on methane – an estimated 58 million tons of methane emissions would be prevented between 2024 and 2038, according to the EPA. That is the equivalent of 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide and roughly the same amount emitted by the power sector in 2021.

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For years, environmentalists have called for stricter regulations targeting methane, which activists refer to as a “super pollutant” and which is far more potent than carbon dioxide, which occurs naturally. Biden administration officials said the rulemaking was among the “most critical” it could take to “slow the rate of climate change.”

The regulations include rigorous new standards that force the energy industry to slash methane emissions, mainly by incorporating advanced technology like pollution-control equipment and aerial screening, sensor networks and satellites. It further phases in a requirement to eliminate routine flaring of natural gas, the release of gas produced during oil drilling operations that lack capture technology.

President Biden and EPA Administrator Michael Regan are pictured. (Getty Images)

The finalized regulations also introduce a so-called Super Emitter Program, which will use third parties to detect large methane releases.

“Energy costs have significantly risen nationwide, and Americans are feeling it. Piling on regulatory burdens on the oil and natural gas industry at this time would only further exacerbate this trend,” Marshall said. “The Biden administration has taken their war on American energy and oil producers too far.” 

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While the EPA announced the finalization of the regulations in early December, the agency didn’t formally publish them until March, meaning they won’t go into effect until early May.

The Republicans’ bill on Thursday will be introduced as a resolution under the Congressional Review Act, a law dating back nearly three decades that allows Congress to revoke federal regulations.

EPA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.