Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) introduced the Gas Prices Relief Act alongside several Western Caucus Members. A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senate Western Caucus Member Roger Marshall (KS). The legislation aims to protect Americans from President Biden’s anti-energy agenda.

"Since the day he took office, President Biden and the Democrats have been implementing energy policies that have reduced domestic energy production and American families have paid literally paid the price for it. This cannot be allowed to continue,” said Rep. Fischbach. “I am proud to cosponsor this bill, which would stop these targeted policies from continuing until Americans start seeing gas cost $2.60 per gallon, like it used to before this president took office.”
 
“President Biden’s attack on American energy has resulted in the highest gas prices we have seen in decades, and he can’t blame this on Putin. This is a crisis of his own making,” said Chairman Newhouse. “Instead of empowering U.S. energy producers and encouraging development of domestic energy, the Biden Administration has attacked the U.S. energy sector, made us more reliant on foreign energy sources, and weakened our ability to provide for our own people. Banning Russian imports of oil and gas was the right move. Now, we must increase domestic development and strengthen our all-of-the-above energy portfolio. This bill will ensure that President Biden puts Americans first, instead of overregulating the very industry that can reduce gas prices.”
 
“The American people can’t afford to fill up at the pump, and there’s no question about it – these surging gas prices rest squarely on the shoulders of President Biden and the Democrats’ anti-American energy policies,” said Senator Marshall. “Now, my colleagues across the aisle want to further increase our debt throwing a band-aid on the issue at hand instead of addressing the underlying issues and fully unleashing the American energy industry. I’m proud to introduce this common sense legislation that will provide folks with relief at the pump while loosening the Biden Administration’s choke hold on American energy producers.” 

Western Caucus Vice Chairs Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) and Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), August Pfluger (TX-11), Ron Estes (KS-04), and Rodney Davis (IL-13) joined in introducing the bill, which would prohibit the Biden Administration from enacting new rules or regulations that would decrease domestic oil, gas, or biofuels productions; increase gas prices; or have any negative effects on domestic energy production, infrastructure development, or transportation fuels. The prohibition would stay in place until January 1, 2023 or until gas prices fall below $2.60 per gallon.
 
Click here to read the full text of the bill.  
 
Since President Biden took office, the national average price per gallon has increased from $2.39 to $4.23. This is a direct result of the Biden Administration’s actions to throttle American energy producers and make the U.S. more reliant on foreign countries to meet our energy needs. 
 
Western Caucus Members have strongly advocated against President Biden’s anti-energy agenda and have called on his Administration to strengthen American energy independence, both by increasing domestic energy development and by ensuring a reliable supply chain of critical minerals needed for clean energy technologies and domestic manufacturing.
 
In January, Western Caucus Members and House Oversight and Reform Republicans hosted a joint forum on rising American energy prices, titled “Holding the Biden Administration Accountable for Skyrocketing Prices & Failing Energy Policies.”
 
Most recently, Chairman Newhouse, Vice Chair Bruce Westerman (AR-04), and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) led a letter to the Administration urging the prioritization of the National Offshore Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Click here to read more.