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Two Boebert Bills Pass the House with Bipartisan Support as Part of H.R. 1

March 30, 2023

Today, two of Congresswoman Boebert’s bills, the American Energy Act and the 90-Day Review Act, and her Jordan Cove amendment, passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support as part of H.R. 1.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) stated, “I promised my voters that I would deliver real solutions to the problems they’re facing, and today, the House passed two of my bills and an additional amendment as a part of H.R. 1. My bills will lower energy costs and streamline the process for critical infrastructure projects. Promises made, promises kept. These bills will provide certainty for responsible energy production and transportation while preventing frivolous litigation, all in an effort to make America energy independent once again, reduce gas prices for Coloradans, and allow important infrastructure projects to get done.”

Background:

Today, Congresswoman Boebert passed two bills and an additional amendment through the House of Representatives, the American Energy Act, the 90-Day Review Act and her Jordan Cove amendment.  

The Congresswoman has started the 118th Congress being an extremely effective legislator and has now passed two bills through the House of Representatives with bipartisan support, and passed nine of nine amendments offered through the House, eight of which had strong bipartisan support.

Background on Congresswoman Boebert’s American Energy Act:

Congresswoman Boebert’s American Energy Act passed the House as Secs. 20212 and 20217 of H.R. 1.

Congresswoman Boebert’s passed legislation will extend the length of drilling permits, ensuring energy producers will be able to spend more time producing American energy and less time jumping through bureaucratic hoops. Additionally, extending the length of drilling permits will reduce the number of reapplications, reducing the burden on the Bureau of Land Management. Ultimately, this will alleviate the unacceptable backlog, streamline permitting reviews, increase American energy production, and decrease energy prices for consumers.

Congresswoman Boebert’s American Energy Act also fixes the problem caused by activist judges and environmentalist litigants by reducing the power of judges to unilaterally vacate an energy lease that was approved by the Bureau of Land Management.

Specifically, the American Energy Act ensures that the Department of Interior continues to process APDs under a valid existing lease regardless of any unrelated civil action, extends the term of an APD from 2 years to 4 years, and requires courts to remand lease sale EIS’s to agencies to remedy when necessary, rather than allowing judges with a political agenda to simply vacate these leases.

Groups supporting Rep. Lauren Boebert’s American Energy Act include: Heritage Action, Americans for Limited Government, Colorado Oil & Gas Association, Western Energy Alliance, West Slope Colorado Oil & Gas Association, US Oil and Gas Association, Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico, EnerGeo Alliance, New Mexico Business Coalition, and New Mexico Oil & Gas Association.

Cosponsors of Rep. Lauren Boebert’s American Energy Act include: Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Rep. Eric Burlison (MO-07), Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY-AL), Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02), Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22), Rep. Andy Ogles (TN-05), Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-08), Rep. Ben Cline (VA-06), Chip Roy (TX-21), Kelly Armstrong (ND-AL), and Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07).

Background on Congresswoman Boebert’s 90-Day Review Act:

Rep. Boebert’s House 90-Day Review Act passed the House as an amendment to H.R. 1.

Congresswoman Boebert’s 90-Day Review Act shortens the length of time from 150 days to 90 days that a party can file a petition for judicial review of a permit, license, or approval of a major infrastructure project.

By streamlining the federal litigation timeline, this legislation will help reduce frivolous lawsuits, cut red tape, and help critical infrastructure projects move forward in a more timely manner. This bill will reduce the amount of time it takes to construct real and important infrastructure projects like highways, bridges, railways, dams, and other important projects that will improve the lives of people in Colorado's Third District and across America.

Congresswoman Boebert’s 90-Day Review Act is the House companion to Senator Ted Cruz’s 90-Day Review Act he introduced in the Senate.

Reps. Troy Nehls (TX-22), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Mary Miller (IL-15), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Clay Higgins (LA-03), and Russel Fry (SC-07) joined Rep. Lauren Boebert in introducing her 90-Day Review Act.

Background on Boebert Jordan Cove Amendment that Passed the House:

Congresswoman Boebert’s amendment condemning the cancelation of the Jordan Cove Pipeline project also passed the House as part of H.R. 1.

The Jordan Cove Pipeline project had bipartisan support and was supported by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D), then-Governor John Hickenlooper (D), the Colorado Senate (D), the Denver Post, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, and local governments in Western Colorado including Mesa, Garfield, Rio Blanco, Moffat, Routt (D), and Delta counties. The Jordan Cove Pipeline was ultimately approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The Jordan Cove Pipeline would have transported Colorado natural gas to the West Coast for domestic use and to be exported to our allies in the Pacific as they counter China’s threats. Producing and transporting American energy domestically is key to securing American energy dominance, stabilizing energy prices, and enhancing American national security.

The Jordan Cove Pipeline would have invested in rural Colorado for years to come, creating 6,000 jobs and generating $100 million in state and local tax revenue annually. Additionally, it would have helped the environment by decreasing pollution globally since American natural gas is the cleanest in the world and is 42% cleaner than Russian gas.

Unfortunately, Oregon’s liberal Governor, Kate Brown, unilaterally killed the Jordan Cove Pipeline by arbitrarily denying the necessary permits. If Green New Deal extremists in the Governor’s office actually cared about the environment, they would have supported this project as natural gas emissions result in significantly fewer air pollutants and carbon dioxide emissions, and this important project would have advanced local, regional, and global emissions reductions goals.

Congresswoman Boebert’s amendment condemns this partisan decision and makes clear that we should not allow states with a misguided agenda to kill projects of national and global energy importance.

The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s passed amendment is available here.

Background on H.R. 1:

H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, will reduce energy prices by enacting an America first energy policy by:

  • Requiring the Secretary of Energy to conduct an ongoing assessment of the nation’s supply of critical energy resources and the vulnerability of the critical energy resource supply chain.
  • Prohibiting the President from banning fracking.
  • Condemning President Biden’s revocation of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
  • Deregulating the export of American natural gas.
  • Immediately resuming quarterly energy lease sales on federal land.
  • Deregulating federal energy leasing.
  • Requiring the Secretary of Interior to issue a plan to increase energy leasing on federal land.
  • Ending the moratorium on coal energy leasing.
  • Prohibiting China from controlling lands leased for energy production.
  • Encouraging the domestic production of critical minerals.
  • Repealing Biden’s energy tax increases.