Pete Stauber

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I reiterate my good friend and colleague did reserve. Listen, one of the things that we hear from my colleagues is that Big Oil is price gouging, which is why energy prices are higher. The fact is, this President's anti-energy agenda has created uncertainty for domestic energy producers and has driven up energy prices for all Americans. Repeated in-depth investigations by the FTC have shown that changes in gasoline prices are based on market factors and are not due to any illegal behavior. The price gouging argument is simply a red herring meant to distract the American public from the Biden administration's disastrous energy policies. The fact of the matter is, when my friends and colleagues talk about transition, wind and solar, they don't want to produce those minerals for those solar panels or windmills here in the United States, Mr. Speaker. Minnesota has the most mineral wealth of any State in the Nation with the exception of Alaska. Minnesota has the biggest untapped copper and nickel mine in the world, and this administration pulled the leases. This administration, with support from the Secretary of the Interior, banned 225,000 acres of mining in northeastern Minnesota. Can you believe that? Yet, they will get the minerals from Congo, which uses child slave labor for their energy addiction. Mr. Speaker, I submit that we have the opportunity today and now. I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us to let the American worker succeed and energy dominance, critical mineral dominance in this country, be made here in America. We need it, this country needs it, and our allies are asking for it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to cite a 2019 study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute. Their research shows a ban on fracking would eliminate 19 million jobs between 2021 and 2025 while simultaneously reducing the U.S. gross domestic product by $7.1 trillion over that same period. The Global Energy Institute's research also shows that over the same 2021 through 2025 timeframe, energy prices would skyrocket, with natural gas prices rising by 324 percent, causing household energy bills for the average American to quadruple and the cost of living to increase by $5,600. Additionally, the price of gasoline would double, and government revenues would plummet by almost $2 trillion. With these sobering facts in mind, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 1121 to prevent the worst case scenario from becoming our reality. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1085, I call up the bill (H.R. 6009) to require the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw the proposed rule relating to fluid mineral leases and leasing process, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6009.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, my good friend and colleague talked about making a mess. Joe Biden and his administration have made a mess for American energy--higher energy prices throughout our country. The middle class is getting squeezed because of his energy policies and, dare I say, his anti-mining agenda. We will clean up this mess. Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Biden administration told Congress just last summer that there are only 37 orphaned wells on BLM lands, and they have called in bonds only four times per year over the last decade. This number is low because the BLM has a process for dealing with at-risk wells. There are very few, if any, Federal leases that don't have multiple companies with multiple record title interests and working interests. Multiple companies may have equities in the leases and will sell those equities to other companies that want to develop at different depths, for example. BLM maintains the full chain of ownership. If BLM identifies a well on a lease at risk for abandonment, the agency will go to the companies in that chain of ownership and require them to take care of the well. Increasing bonds at these levels will also have a disproportionate impact on the small producers and the small businesses and therefore could actually result in more bankruptcies and thus more orphaned wells. Crushing small businesses and limiting production on Federal lands, which is what this regulation would do, would simply reduce production, driving up prices for American families and driving down revenues paid to the States and the Federal Government. Federal onshore oil and gas production brought in roughly $7.7 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2023 alone. That is almost six times more than the BLM's entire fiscal year budget. We have the opportunity to help the American people who are struggling under this administration's policies and procedures. The time is now. The American people are hurting with energy prices. Inflation is still on the rise. The CPI is almost 20 percent. This is real for blue-collar, working Americans. The energy policies, Mr. Speaker, of this President have been devastating to the middle and lower class. I have the privilege of representing Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District. It is the oldest and poorest congressional district in our great State. I hear it every single day about the cost of energy. We can change it, and this is our opportunity. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, my friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle brought up the Inflation Reduction Act. The fact is, that is law, and 90 percent of that money goes to billion-dollar companies in subsidies. This bill we are talking about today is about small businesses. Under this administration, the average American household is paying $11,400 per year under these policies and these regulations. That is a lot of money. Mr. Speaker, that may not be a lot of money for a President who has spent 53 years of his life in Washington, D.C. Just maybe he has forgotten what it is like to struggle in our Midwestern States. Mr. Speaker, $11,400 is the average, and I just stated that I represent the oldest and the poorest Congressional District in the State of Minnesota. That is a lot of money for my constituents and almost every American. Fifty-three years President Biden has been bloviating on Capitol Hill trying to change things and make it better. On his energy policies and his mining policies, he has failed the American people, and we all know it. We all know it. We feel it. We see it. Our pocketbooks are shrinking, and our paychecks aren't rising as fast as we want them to, and they are not keeping up with inflation. This is about small businesses. This is about not letting the unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., dictate production of our natural resources. We, in Congress, have a responsibility to write legislation that will benefit all Americans. Today we are talking about legislation, Mr. Speaker, about energy prices. There is nobody in this country who feels as if this administration has reduced the cost of energy for them. Mr. Speaker, $11,400, that is a lot of money for this retired police officer. That is a lot of money for my wife who served 24 years in the military and is an Iraq war veteran. That is a lot of money for her, for me, and for many other Americans who are trying to just feed their families, keep up, and try and live the American Dream. Mr. Speaker, this President has failed the American people on his energy policies. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is an easy concept for us all to understand. This really isn't about the left or the right, Democrat or Republican. We move either forward or backward. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle just talked about the Inflation Reduction Act. It was voted and put into law almost 2 years ago, so I ask the American people: Has it increased your energy prices, or has it lowered your energy prices? The American people know that their energy prices have skyrocketed. We have many great energy producing States, including the great State of Alaska. This administration has put 54 sanctions on energy production in Alaska. That is more sanctions than this administration has put on Iran. That is unconscionable. Mr. Speaker, earlier, at a Federal Lands Subcommittee hearing, there was a witness exchange. Representative Tiffany chairs it. They talked about where they are going to source their electric vehicles, their critical minerals for the vehicles, and they were talking about child slave labor. The Democrat witness said that it is unfortunate that people are exploited around the world, but it is a reality. He said that is a controversial issue. Child slave labor should never be controversial. We should never allow that, and this administration has gone with memorandums of understanding with Congo, where 15 of the 19 industrial mines use child slave labor. Mr. Speaker, that is a fact, and this administration doesn't want to admit it. They want to ignore the human rights atrocities to get to their so-called green agenda. That is not acceptable, Mr. Speaker, when we have the mineral resources here in the United States of America. As I said earlier, we are blessed with an abundance of natural resources that we can extract using the best environmental labor standards. Again, we can move either backward or forward. I submit to you that the Republicans want to move forward on energy production. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, the American people just have to ask themselves whether they are paying more or less for energy and groceries under this administration. It is clear the American people are suffering under the Biden policies. The Biden administration's proposed rule would eliminate the opportunity for exploration of newly discovered energy producing areas and shrink future oil and gas production, even on sites where it already exists, all while drastically driving up costs for Americans. We will not stand by idly as this administration locks up our Federal lands and prohibits Americans from accessing their abundant natural resources. We will support American families, jobs, communities, our economy, and our national security through safe, clean, and efficient domestic energy production. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 6009, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Officer Paul Elmstrand, a Burnsville police officer killed in the line of duty. Paul was from North Branch, Minnesota, and I recently sat down with his loving parents to express my condolences. They described Paul as a devoted family man with a servant's heart. They talked about his passion for policing, which began when he was a member of the Law Enforcement Club at Cambridge-Isanti High School. Paul's parents said that he took his police oath seriously and was dedicated to his brothers and sisters in law enforcement. He was an excellent police officer, but it was his role of husband and father that gave him the truest joy. Paul married his high school sweetheart, Cindy, and together, they had two beautiful children, Maria and Mateo. My heart aches for Paul's entire family, especially his children. While they must now grow up without their father, may they always remember that he lived his life with integrity, honor, and courage. May they always take strength from the fact that their father was a hero who put his life on the line in service of others. Minnesotans will never forget his sacrifice.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7176, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act. America's domestic energy revolution has not just benefited Americans with affordable and reliable access to energy or with countless good- paying jobs. It has also benefited our allies around the world. Thanks to exports of American LNG, we are helping our allies in Europe keep the lights and heat on this winter. Without American LNG, our allies would have to depend on Vladimir Putin and others for their natural gas. Here in the United States, we produce energy, including natural gas, with the strictest environmental and labor standards anywhere in the world. In fact, global greenhouse gas emissions have dropped in recent years not because of government regulations but because of increased use of ever-cleaner natural gas. When we export American LNG, we are exporting the cleanest natural gas found anywhere in the world. We are exporting the incredible environmental progress the United States has made. Rather than supporting Ukraine and other allies, the Biden administration is focused on making campaign promises to their extreme radical left. Cutting off American LNG exports will only threaten our allies' security and line the pockets of Vladimir Putin. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I would like to record my reading and understanding of H.R. 7176, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act. This bill removes the jurisdiction of the Department of Energy (DOE) to issue export licenses for facilities, including offshore facilities, exporting LNG to countries the U.S. does not have a free trade agreement with, while confirming that these projects are in the public interest. Since the public interest determination is in the bill, we do not anticipate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will add new terms to their public interest review, including extensions or expansions of projects that have been already approved. I also wish to confirm that applications from LNG export project sponsors, for extensions in the export commencement date for previously issued DOE export licenses, are not covered by the Biden Administration ban on exports, and that upon enactment of this bill, existing authorized projects for export to non-FTA countries will no longer be within DOE's jurisdiction but will reside with FERC. Furthermore, export commencement extensions for previously authorized DOE exports are presumed to be granted by FERC. Finally, should a project need an export commencement extension before this bill is enacted, DOE, as stated by Deputy Secretary Turk on the record, must accept applications for such an extension and process it in a timely manner.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Protecting Health Care for all Patients Act of 2023 led by Chairwoman Rodgers. I rise today not only as a Congressman, Mr. Chair, but as a father to a 21-year-old man with Down syndrome, a young man who has never been defined by his disability, but rather, his ability. The use of quality- adjusted life years is disgusting. Mr. Chair, it is disgusting. Using a cost benefit analysis to determine if someone deserves healthcare, if their life has value, is just plain wrong, Mr. Chair. This is the result of socialized healthcare medicine, the future that the Democrats want. It is a future where a doctor will turn you away because your treatment just doesn't make economic sense. This is called rationalized healthcare, Mr. Chair, meaning the government will determine if your life is worth living. The bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., will determine if the lives of senior citizens in northern Minnesota should be saved and healthcare provided to them. I thank Chairwoman Rodgers for introducing this bill, which prevents the Federal healthcare programs from deciding the future of not only my son but all the children in this country that have a disability--from deciding if their life is valuable in comparison to others. This bill is a beacon of hope for families like mine and the hundreds of thousands across this great Nation who are blessed to have children living with Down syndrome and other disabilities that enrich our communities. It is a promise that we will not stand idly by while our most vulnerable citizens are viewed as less than in a broken healthcare system.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, this bill ensures that individuals with disabilities, the elderly, our veterans, and the terminally ill are protected from discrimination and have access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare. Let me tell you something. I am a spouse of an Iraq war veteran, and if you look on the Department of Veterans Affairs' site, Mr. Chair, they have quality-adjusted life years for our veterans. Since when do we determine the life of a veteran who signed up to give his or her life for this Nation, Mr. Chair? The Democrats want to take it away, quality-adjusted life years. It is sad. We are fighting for our elderly, the veterans, and our disabled community. For the bureaucrats to tell me or tell any of us whether a life is worth living or not is unconscionable, and we will not stand for it. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing this bill to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, President Biden, today, by executive order can end catch and release, cease the exploitation of the parole authority, reinstate remain in Mexico, expand expedited removal authority, and renew building the wall. By executive order, Mr. Speaker, he can do that, which will stop the illegal immigration by 80 percent, just those executive orders. He can do that today. Mr. Speaker, I am horrified and I am dismayed. We have been shouting from the rooftops that the border is a crisis for years. And finally, finally, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are beginning to acknowledge there is a problem just in time for an election. How shocking? Just like when they switched from ``defund the police'' to pro-police rhetoric in 2022 just before the election. They have this playbook down pat. Since the President has taken office, Mr. Speaker, there have been over 7 million illegal crossings at our southern border. Over 8.3 million illegal crossings nationwide. Yes, that is right. Our southern border is in such disarray and has sucked up so much of our resources that our northern border is wide open, and the cartels are taking advantage, including in the State of New York where my esteemed colleague, who is claiming time in opposition on the other side of the aisle, is from. His State is in desperate need of help from illegals taking over their cities, overrunning their public safety, overrunning their schools, overrunning their social services, and he stands up here, Mr. Speaker, and says there is nothing wrong. This crisis is personal, as it is impacting the safety and security of my constituents. In 2022, Minnesota resort owners along the Canadian border in Minnesota caught illegal immigrants trespassing on their property. Last fall, a young girl in Bemidji, Minnesota, was sexually assaulted and 11 illegal immigrants were found at the scene. And just last week, Mr. Speaker, authorities arrested an al-Shabaab terrorist in Minneapolis. The terrorist was caught at the southern border 1 year prior and released back into our country by the Biden administration's catch and release. They allowed him to roam for 1 year in this country, and it is alleged, Mr. Speaker, that he was trading in illegal arms. I fear it is only a matter of time before another September 11 occurs on our soil, and we must not let that happen. If Democrats were serious about making our border secure, they would encourage their colleagues in the Senate to pass the already House- passed bill, H.R. 2, the most strongest worded piece of legislation on our border in this country's history. They can get it to his desk immediately for President Biden to sign, or they would call on the President to use his executive authorities, as I already stated, to reinstate President Trump's policies that were keeping our Nation safe. But they are not serious, so, yes, I am here today to beg my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to vote for this bill that would make illegal immigrants convicted of a DUI deportable or inadmissible to our country. Because of my law enforcement background, Mr. Speaker, I am probably one of the very few Members of Congress who has ever been to the scene of a drunk driving accident where there was a death. One of very few who has delivered death notices to unsuspecting families or victims, and I pray that none of you ever have to deliver or receive such heartbreaking news. At a minimum, Mr. Speaker, we should keep illegal immigrants who drive under the influence of alcohol and put people's lives in danger out of this country. To my Democratic colleagues, I ask: Get on the side of public safety and law enforcement all of the time, not just during election years. This is an easy vote, and I ask my colleagues to do the right thing and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6976.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, let's make one thing perfectly clear: The Biden administration is building their so-called green energy on the backs of children, on poor individuals enslaved by Communist China. I wonder what it must be like for the Biden administration to sit in ivory towers and drive their electric vehicles and pretend to be doing something positive for the environment. As long as I am here in Congress, I will expose the truth. The Biden administration finds it to be perfectly acceptable to use child slave labor in foreign lands to meet their insincere and deceptive green agenda, forcing children, under horrific conditions, to dig up, often with their bare hands, the minerals that they need in their EV charging stations. It is immoral, it is unethical, and it is wrong. The rule to waive the Buy America requirement for electric vehicle chargers is just the latest in this administration's efforts to eliminate good-paying union jobs for American workers and instead offshore cheap slave labor in foreign countries with zero environmental standards. For the Biden administration, when overseas, it is out of sight, out of mind. The Biden administration continues to have their agenda on mining and energy anywhere but America, any worker but American. I ask my colleagues not to turn a blind eye. We need to mine here and buy American. The reason the Biden administration wants to waive the Buy America requirement is because they refuse to allow domestic mining to happen. Mr. Speaker, I live in a district where the biggest copper-nickel mine in the world is, and this administration pulled the mining leases for purely political reasons. They won't let us mine in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and so many other States. They are okay with using child slave labor in Congo, where 15 of the 19 mines are owned by the Communist country of China. The Biden administration continues to assault the American worker. We must not let that happen. Mr. Speaker, when the infrastructure law passed, we supported Build America, Buy America. This is a slap in the face when Joe Biden wants us now to waive the requirement. It is unacceptable. Buy America, mine here in America, period.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4468, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act. The out-of-touch government dictated EV mandates pushed by this administration are an attack on our way of life in northern Minnesota and across this country. Many of my constituents not only can't afford an EV, they don't want to purchase an EV because they are not compatible with our daily lives. How are we supposed to reliably drive an EV when its battery has the potential to lose 50 percent of its range in Minnesota's subzero temperatures? Let's not forget that the critical minerals used to make these EVs are sourced from Chinese Communist Party-controlled mines in places like the Congo and Indonesia--mines that have zero environmental standards, mines that have zero labor standards, and mines that use child slave labor. Thanks to this administration's refusal to support responsible, domestic mining, their EV mandate will only increase our reliance on the Chinese Communist Party for critical minerals. Mr. Speaker, I will remind you and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that the biggest copper nickel find is in northern Minnesota, the Duluth Complex--95 percent of our nickel reserve, over 88 percent of our cobalt, and a third of our copper and other platinum group metals that help make electric vehicles--and this administration just pulled the leases. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of H.R. 4468.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5283, the Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act, which I am proud to cosponsor. Plenty of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will stand here today and protest that this bill is unnecessary. They will complain Republicans shouldn't be taking up this piece of legislation. The truth is, if it weren't for the disastrous policies of this administration, I don't think we would find ourselves even considering this bill. It is plain and simple: Republicans are taking action to address our southern border crisis because the Biden administration has failed to do so. They have failed to protect the American people. Mr. Chair, 2 weeks ago, they broke a record. In just 1 week, 15,000 illegals came across our southern border. The district I represent in northern Minnesota contains hundreds of miles of northern border with Canada. The 547 miles of border shared with Canada are patrolled by only two mobile agents right now because the current agents are being reassigned to in-process the illegals coming through our southern border. Now, our northern border is not secure because of this administration. There are 547 miles of border that are wide open, and the cartels and coyotes have figured it out. Earlier this fall, in Bemidji, Minnesota, an 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted, and 11 illegal immigrants were found at the scene of that crime. For those of you who don't know where Bemidji is, it is not along our southern border. It is over 2,000 miles away. Bemidji and every community across this Nation have been turned into a border community, putting Americans at risk.

Mr. STAUBER. Now, even our Federal lands meant for conservation, recreation, and development of our great natural resources are being turned into campgrounds for traffickers and terrorists who are marching into our country and breaking our immigration laws. Northern Minnesota is also home to vast amounts of public lands, including the Chippewa and Superior National Forests, Voyageurs National Park, and the Grand Portage National Monument. It is a shame that we even have to consider this piece of legislation because of the Biden administration's open border policy that is making our Nation less secure. We have no idea who is coming into this Nation, and it is not appropriate that we keep this open border. Mr. Chair, I support this piece of legislation.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of the Small Business Contracting Transparency Act. I thank my colleague, Representative Houlahan, for bringing this up. It is a very good bill and I am proud to stand in support of it. In Minnesota, Feeding Our Future, a supposed nonprofit in Minnesota meant to feed children, used $250 million of COVID-19 Federal funds to buy luxury cars and real estate. Since COVID-19, fraud has been on the rise. Bad actors are taking advantage of vulnerable government programs and stealing taxpayer dollars for their own benefit and wealth. We must be better stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensure proper safeguards are in place. The Small Business Administration is charged with ensuring that only eligible firms are participating in its Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract program, HUBZone programs, and the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business programs. The Small Business Contracting Transparency Act would bring much- needed oversight to the certification process, ensure the SBA is only approving appropriate firms, and give Congress the tools to hold the SBA accountable, if necessary. By supporting the Small Business Contracting Transparency Act, we will not only provide valuable assistance to small businesses but also ensure effectiveness in government contracting. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Small Business Contracting Transparency Act.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of Adam Johnson of Hibbing, Minnesota. Adam was a star hockey player for Hibbing High School who went on to play for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs for 2 years. After college, Adam played professionally with the Pittsburgh Penguins and eventually went overseas to continue his love of the game. On October 28, Adam's life was tragically cut short during an on-ice incident. He passed away playing the game he loved. Many in our State will remember Adam as a talented and dynamic hockey player who possessed incredible skills on the ice, skills that many of us could only dream of having. He will also be remembered as a wonderful person. He was kind, he was humble, and he never forgot where he came from. He was a hometown hero. To his parents, Dave and Sue; his brother, Ryan; his fiance, Ryan; and countless other loved ones, please know that our prayers are with you and that the State of Hockey will always be there for you. I thank Adam for the memories. My he rest in peace.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment that prohibits any funds from being used to finalize or otherwise carry out the Biden administration's proposed NEPA Phase 2 rule. Rather than working to fix our broken permitting system and working to address the incredible challenges and barriers NEPA poses, the Biden administration's proposed rule makes our already broken system even worse. This proposed rule expands the broken NEPA framework, adds additional requirements, and creates new tools for opponents to shut down good projects. The NEPA Phase 2 rule would require Federal agencies not only to consider climate change but also add a new requirement to consider environmental justice during the NEPA review process, including environmental tree justice and tree equity. These new requirements are just another way that opponents of highway infrastructure projects, water infrastructure projects, critical mineral mining projects, renewable energy projects, transmission projects, oil and gas development projects get to a ``no.'' This administration does not want to do it here in the United States of America. Additionally, the NEPA Phase 2 rule violates the reforms Congress has put forth to address our permitting woes. These reforms were part of the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act that we passed earlier this year. Trust me, the permitting provisions in the debt ceiling agreement did not solve all of our permitting problems, but they were an important step in the right direction. For example, it included strict page limits and review deadlines for an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement. Does the NEPA Phase 2 rule implement these reforms? Absolutely not. This administration is not following the laws that Congress put forward. In fact, when CEQ chair Brenda Mallory, the Biden administration official tasked with fixing NEPA and our broken permitting system, testified before the Natural Resources Committee in June, she claimed the administration didn't need to change a thing. She told Congress this administration would just follow and do business as usual. She falsely claimed that this administration was already doing everything the debt ceiling agreement instructed it to do, and that is absolutely not true. The NEPA Phase 2 rule is a blatant show of disregard for congressional intent and the law that this body passed and President Biden signed into law. The NEPA Phase 2 rule is completely misguided. It is a step in the wrong direction, and it is important we vote today to prevent the administration from moving to finalize the rule. Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment that prohibits any funds from being used to carry out the Biden administration's NEPA Phase 1 rule. It is clear we have bipartisan consensus--our permitting system is broken. Our permitting system is holding up projects in every district, whether it is Republican or Democrat, and NEPA deserves a lot of this blame. When NEPA was first passed in 1969, it was a five-page bill. Over the last 50 years, it has grown out of control thanks to executive actions and activist courts. Today, NEPA is an albatross, blocking everything from highway infrastructure projects that connect communities and enable commerce to energy projects that are necessary for securing our energy independence. In 2020, the Trump administration enacted the first real NEPA reforms in a generation. It helped bring NEPA back to its original intent. Importantly, the Trump administration's reforms removed the requirement to consider ``cumulative impacts,'' that go far beyond a proposed project. This prevented opponents of important projects from abusing the NEPA process and pointing to outrageous, distant, so-called cumulative impacts a project could hypothetically pose. The reforms also forced Federal agencies to build consistency in permitting reviews and ensured all Federal agencies follow the same standards and procedures. These reforms began to point us back in the right direction. The Biden administration's NEPA Phase 1 rule reversed the Trump-era reforms. It reinstated the cumulative impact requirements. It gave free rein back to Federal agencies to put up roadblocks for projects they didn't want. The Phase 1 rule is just another part of the Biden administration's anywhere but America, any worker but American agenda. Mr. Chair, the Biden administration's NEPA Phase 1 rule is a step in the wrong direction. It is important that we adopt my amendment and return some sanity to our broken permitting system. I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.