Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) has collaborated with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and 10 other colleagues to introduce legislation aimed at repealing the Natural Gas Tax enacted under the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The senators argue that this tax will raise energy costs for consumers and add to the financial burdens on American families already grappling with high inflation.
The proposed legislation, known as the Natural Gas Tax Repeal Act, seeks to eliminate the methane emissions fee introduced by the IRA. This initiative was initially presented by Representative August Pfluger (R-Texas-11) in the House of Representatives and passed earlier this year as part of H.R. 1023, the Cutting Green Corruption and Taxes Act.
Senator Britt emphasized her commitment to supporting domestic energy producers and opposing regulations that she believes hinder American energy independence. “As this Administration wages its war on American energy, I will continue to work alongside my colleagues to ensure our domestic energy producers aren’t strangled by President Biden’s red tape regime,” Britt stated. She criticized the administration’s focus on what she described as an “irresponsible, partisan Green New Deal Agenda,” which she claims undermines national and economic security.
Senator Cruz also voiced his concerns, highlighting the negative impact of the methane emissions fee on both the economy and energy sector. “Joe Biden and Biden officials have proven time and time again that they care more about their radical climate agenda than the needs of the American people. They have driven up inflation and jeopardized American jobs and energy security, all of which would be made significantly worse by the methane emissions fee in the Inflation Reduction Act,” Cruz said. He particularly noted the potential harm to energy producers in Texas’ Permian Basin.
The group of senators supporting the legislation includes Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebr.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Hoeven (R-N.Dak.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
The introduction of the Natural Gas Tax Repeal Act underscores ongoing debates in Congress over energy policy, regulatory approaches, and their economic implications. Proponents of the repeal argue that reducing regulatory burdens will bolster energy production and lower costs for consumers, while critics of the repeal caution against rolling back environmental protections that address climate change.
