The Republican Recap: Week of March 3, 2025
Reversing Biden Rule Targeting Energy Production on the Outer Continental Shelf ✅
In the past, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) required oil and gas leaseholders on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to issue an archaeological report before a project could begin if that project would potentially impact archaeological resources. In September 2024, however, the Biden Administration decided to further crush American energy production by issuing a rule to require ALL oil and gas lessees to submit archaeological reports for certain exploration or development activities on the OCS to protect marine archeological resources like shipwrecks and so-called “cultural resources.”
This rule, the “Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources,” increases burdens on oil and gas lessees by forcing them to conduct expensive surveys, discouraging domestic energy production, weakening American energy independence, and once again, raising costs for consumers.
After four years of these kinds of disastrous energy policies under the Biden Administration that created the energy crisis we still suffer from today, it is vital that we stop targeting domestic oil and gas production. Unleashing American energy lowers costs for struggling families and workers, and strengthens our national and energy security by making us less dependent on foreign nations. House Republicans passed legislation to overturn the Biden BOEM’s burdensome rule and return to President Trump’s America First energy agenda.
S.J. Res. 11, introduced by Sen. John Kennedy, disapproves the Biden BOEM’s rule requiring oil and gas lessees and operators to submit an archaeological report for certain exploration or development activities on the Outer Continental Shelf to protect marine archeological resources like shipwrecks and so-called "cultural resources," blocking increases in domestic energy production, weakening energy independence, and raising costs for consumers.
“Congress has taken a decisive step to protect American energy independence and support our workers,” said Rep. Mike Ezell. “By overturning Biden's BOEM's overreaching rule, we are unleashing our nation’s vast resources, they tried to handcuff with red tape, driving up costs, stifling innovation, and making us more dependent on foreign energy. I look forward to President Trump taking swift action to sign this resolution into law. Together, we are reaffirming our commitment to an energy policy that prioritizes American jobs, economic growth, and national security.”
What Members Said:
“S.J. Res. 11 is a common sense measure that would repeal a burdensome and unnecessary Biden Administration rule forcing offshore energy operators to conduct costly archeological surveys and submit reports for every exploration and development plan on the Outer Continental Shelf. Under the rule in question, operators must comply with this blanket mandate even in areas with no known archeological risk, adding millions in unnecessary costs and delays despite existing state and federal protections under the National Historic Preservation Act. Eliminating this one-size-fits-all rulemaking will ensure energy production isn't bogged down by duplicative red tape,” said Chairman Bruce Westerman. “This resolution would end the Biden Administration's needless overreach and return the regulatory regime to a targeted, evidence based approach. Notably, this repeal preserves America's ability to tap its offshore resources efficiently. It will not weaken genuine historic preservation, but will stop a pointless cash grab that inflates administrative burdens. In fact, this resolution could boost federal revenues by speeding up leasing and production timelines critical to U.S. energy security.”
Rep. Ronny Jackson highlighted that S.J. Res. 11 gets government out of the way by reversing Biden's unnecessary restrictions on oil and gas explorations that drive up costs and weaken our energy independence.
Protecting America’s Tire Manufacturing Industry, Economy, and Environment ✅
First authorized by the Clean Air Act in 1970, the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are air pollution standards issued and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect human health. For years, tire manufacturers and facilities have complied with the NESHAP standards in order to minimize hazardous emissions and pollutants from rubber mixers.
In November 2024, however, the Biden EPA finalized amendments to NESHAP through a rule that imposes significant financial burdens on tire manufacturing facilities, crushes jobs, and actually hurts the environment, all while providing insignificant if not nonexistent benefits. A 2020 residual risk and technology review found that existing NESHAP standards provided a large enough safety margin to adequately protect public health, and the EPA’s more recent risk review could not quantify public health or environmental benefits from these changes, but instead noted potential drawbacks due to increased CO2 emissions.
Rubber tire manufacturers already abide by strict standards for air emissions and work to reduce hazardous pollutants. Complying with the Biden EPA final rule would require millions of dollars in costs yearly in addition to the costs of public health disbenefits resulting from the increased CO2 emissions. This rule would only increase emissions, put jobs at risk, crush businesses and workers, raise prices for hardworking Americans, and hurt our economy.
Rep. Morgan Griffith’s legislation, H.J. Res. 61, overturns the Biden EPA’s harmful “NESHAP for Rubber Tire Manufacturing” rule that establishes new emissions standards for rubber tire manufacturing, preventing it from increasing compliance costs for the industry and placing a heavier financial burden on smaller businesses, which would result in higher prices for consumers.
“In our commitment to lowering costs and protecting the American manufacturing sector, House Republicans are aggressively dismantling the Biden regulatory regime and protecting good, well-paying American manufacturing jobs. Passage of my Congressional Review Act reverses an onerous, last-minute Biden regulation and provides essential relief to rubber tire manufacturers in Virginia and the rest of the United States. I thank the Republican Conference, led by Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer and Chairwoman McClain, for their support to rein in burdensome and costly regulations,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith.
What Members Said:
“Surprising to no one, the Biden Administration's EPA, at the behest of a radical environmental group, has disregarded a technology-based, fact-based approach and completely weaponized this process against the industry. In a flurry of regulatory activity in their final hours in power, the Biden EPA finalized a rule to impose unnecessary new regulations on our tire manufacturing industry, all with zero environmental benefit,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy. “This is the legacy of not just the Biden Administration, but also the Obama Administration nearly a decade earlier: a weaponized EPA working at the behest of radical environmental groups to roll out regulation after regulation that drives up costs, kills jobs, and shutters domestic manufacturers, all in the zealous pursuit of the Left's Green New Deal agenda.”
Disapproving Biden Certification and Labeling Rule to Protect Consumer Choice ✅
In 1975, Congress established the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to increase American energy production, encourage efficient energy use, and bolster national energy security. Under the EPCA, the Department of Energy (DOE) sets and enforces efficiency standards for 60 product categories – but these standards must be cost-effective, significantly save energy, and be technologically feasible.
Unfortunately, President Biden’s DOE consistently abused their authority to push a radical energy agenda on American consumers, attempting to implement conservation standards that are neither economically justifiable nor significantly more energy efficient for several household appliances. These overreaching rules take away consumer choice, burden families, and force Americans to use expensive appliances that do not perform as well. The DOE enforces these standards through certification and labeling requirements, which require manufacturers to certify their appliances meet these efficiency standards through testing at a laboratory.
In October 2024, the Biden DOE proposed a final rule expanding certification and labeling for the DOE's conservation standards program in alignment with their new onerous standards and mandating manufacturers of certain appliances adhere an “EnergyGuide” label to their products. This is just another piece of the former administration’s regulatory attack on American manufacturers, workers, and families, giving agencies more power over what products we can have in our homes. The rule would also slow the introduction of products to market and potentially affect supply chains and inventories.
H.J. Res. 42, introduced by Rep. Andrew Clyde, disapproves the Biden DOE’s “Energy Conservation-Appliance Standards, Certification and Labeling” rule which expands certification and labeling for the Department of Energy's conservation standards program and could slow the introduction of products to market, reduce options for consumers, and affect supply chains and inventories.
“This week, House Republicans forcefully rejected a costly Biden-era rule that puts unnecessary red tape on manufacturers, limits consumer choice, and raises costs for hardworking Americans. This severely misguided rule is a perfect example of the burdensome regulations that the Biden-Harris Administration forced on our country, stifling growth and restricting Americans' freedoms. Thankfully, President Trump and House Republicans are committed to rolling back these destructive policies. I thank my colleagues for supporting this commonsense resolution to protect both consumers and manufacturers, and I look forward to its swift passage in the Senate so we can send H.J.Res. 42 to President Trump’s desk,” said Rep. Andrew Clyde.
What Members Said:
“Over the last four years, the Biden Department of Energy proposed and finalized new and amended standards for 30 appliance classes, regulating virtually every appliance in our houses and much of the equipment in businesses. All of these regulations led to over 60 billion in added costs. Implementing these certification, labeling and enforcement provisions will further solidify the disaster standards promulgated under the last administration,” said Chairman Brett Guthrie. “While consumers struggled to keep up with the ever increasing cost of appliances and dwindling product optionality, the Biden Administration consistently hampered innovation by imposing unnecessary and duplicative regulation on manufacturers. Fortunately, H.J. Res. 42 will roll back this red tape and enable Congress and the Trump Administration to safeguard consumer choice and lower costs for American households.”
Censuring Al Green for Disgraceful Display During Presidential Address ✅
On Tuesday night, as President Trump delivered a Joint Address to Congress and the country, Democrats behaved in a shameful manner, disrespecting this body and the American people they serve through disruptive outbursts and grandstanding. In particular, at the beginning of the address, Rep. Al Green interrupted the President numerous times in a disgraceful display breaching proper conduct, rising to shout at President Trump and make a spectacle of the proceedings.
Despite being warned by Speaker Johnson and repeatedly instructed to take his seat, Rep. Green continued shouting, waving his cane and impeding the President from addressing Congress and America. Speaker Johnson eventually had to instruct the Sergeant at Arms to escort the Texas Representative out of the House Chamber to restore order and decorum, allowing President Trump to continue with his speech.
This type of behavior is unacceptable and strictly prohibited by House Rules. We cannot tolerate such disruptions and outbursts during official proceedings on the U.S. House floor.
Rep. Dan Newhouse’s privileged legislation, H. Res. 189, condemns and censures Rep. Al Green for violating House rules and persistently disrupting President Trump’s joint address despite being warned to stop.
“President Trump’s address to Congress was not a debate or a forum; he was invited by the Speaker to outline his agenda for the American people. The actions by my colleague from Texas broke the rules of decorum in the House, and he must be held accountable. We can and must do better, and it is critical that we reprimand this behavior and restore respect for the institution, each other, and the people that sent us here to work for them,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse.
What Members Said:
Distribution channels: U.S. Politics
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