Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) voted against H.R. 1, the House Republican energy package that would weaken the enforcement of nearly all environmental and public health laws, fail to invest in clean energy or lower prices at the pump for American consumers, and support the expansion of oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters. Congresswoman Ross offered an amendment to H.R. 1 that would prohibit offshore oil and gas leasing in the mid-Atlantic, including off the coast of North Carolina. Republicans on the House Rules Committee rejected this amendment before it could make it to the House Floor for a vote.

“At a time when we should be making meaningful progress to combat the climate crisis, this legislation represents a shocking step backwards,” said Congresswoman Ross. “In just two years under the Biden administration, we have passed historic legislation to expand our clean energy infrastructure, lower energy costs for American families, clean up drinking water in North Carolina and across the country, and more. I’m disappointed that House Republicans advanced this partisan bill that does not put forward real solutions to address our nation’s energy needs. As climate change accelerates, we have a responsibility to act now to protect our planet and our people.”

H.R. 1 would:

• Reverse progress on climate change: H.R. 1 reverses the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate and clean energy policies that move the U.S. away from our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels and help lower energy bills for American families.
• Rollback clean air and safe drinking water regulations: H.R. 1 enables more dangerous chemical disasters, more toxic air, more unsafe drinking water, and substantially weaker environmental and public health protections.
• Support oil and gas giveaways: Big oil companies are already making record-shattering profits by taking advantage of billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies, hoarding thousands of unused leases on millions of acres of public lands, and price gouging working families at the pump. H.R. 1 fails to invest in energy security and independence, and instead supports the efforts of big oil companies.