Today, Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) led ten Western Caucus Members in a letter to Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Branda Mallory to submit comments for the Council’s request for information (RFI) on their Environmental Justice Scorecard.
“The Biden Administration continues to push an ‘environmental justice’ agenda, but the reality is that their extreme plan is placing an undue burden on the very low-income communities they claim to want to help,” said Chairman Newhouse. “Without access to affordable and reliable energy, it is difficult for communities to achieve economic prosperity. Instead of supporting natural gas development, a reliable energy source that provides affordable energy to millions of Americans, the Administration has slowed or killed infrastructure projects that would deliver energy to communities in favor of more expensive and less reliable energy. We’re submitting comments today because this scorecard is not designed to help low-income communities but is instead yet another guise to block energy projects.”
Western Caucus members request that CEQ include the following in their scorecard:
- An analysis into why permitting processes and project reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) force additional infrastructure into areas that already have preexisting infrastructure.
- A study that explores life-endangering behavior of those who do not have access to affordable, reliable energy.
- A detailed study into how reliable and affordable energy increases access to healthcare and increases life expectancy.
- Detailed monthly breakdowns of rate increases across the United States and what impacts these rate increases have on low-income communities.
- Accurately detail the criteria which determine whether an at-risk community is experiencing energy poverty.
Joining Chairman Newhouse on the letter are Representatives Pete Stauber (MN-08), David Valadao (CA-22), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Tom McClintock (CA-05), Mike Carey (OH-15), and Harriet Hageman (WY-AL).
Read the full letter
here.
