WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today voted in favor of H.R. 4480, the “Domestic Energy and Jobs Act” -- a common-sense package of energy production bills aimed to help create jobs, reduce energy costs that hard-working families and small businesses currently face and also spur badly-needed economic growth and job creation.  The full House approved the package 248-163.

Lance and others argue that the energy package,  if passed by the U.S. Senate and signed into law by President Obama, will lower energy costs, increase the amount of American energy resources and help create jobs.

“Today, the House of Representatives acted in a responsible manner to  reduce energy costs that hard-working families and small businesses currently face and also spur badly-needed economic growth and job creation,” said Lance. “These common-sense bills will inevitably lead to lower prices at the pumps and increase America’s domestic energy supply.  I respectfully urge President Obama and our Senate colleagues to follow our lead.”

Specifically, the “Domestic Energy and Jobs Act” includes:

•          H.R. 4471, the “Gasoline Regulations Act”directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delay further action on a series of pending new regulations on refineries until policymakers better understand the cumulative effects on transportation fuel prices; and

•          H.R. 4480, the “Strategic Energy Production Act”to ensure that our country replaces any oil drawn down from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) with new American-made energy production of an equal proportion; and 

•          H.R.4381, the “Planning for American Energy Act”would require the Secretary of the Interior to establish an all-of-the-above energy program for federal lands by reviewing the nation’s energy needs and then establishing goals for federal land energy production to meet those needs from all energy sources, oil, natural gas, coal and renewable; and

•          H.R.4382, the “Providing Leasing Certainty for American Energy Act”would: 1) require a minimum annual acreage leasing plan that makes available at least 25 percent of the lands open for leasing each year for which there is interest in development and 2) set firm timelines for the Secretary of the Interior to issue leases and adjudicate lease protests. It would also prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from withdrawing leases and adding additional lease stipulations after they have been sold; and

•          H.R. 4383, the “Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act”would ensure a reliable permitting process to increase American energy production. It would remove government roadblocks and bureaucratic red tape that hinder and delay American energy production and American job creation; and

•          H.R. 2150, the “National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act” will create new jobs, support current energy jobs in Alaska, expand American energy production and lower energy costs by ensuring that oil and natural gas resources in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA) are developed and transported in a timely, efficient manner; and

•          H.R. 2752, the “BLM Live Internet Auctions Act”give the Secretary of the Interior the authority to conduct Internet-based auctions for onshore leases to ensure the best return to the taxpayer and reduce fraud.

For his part, the Seventh District lawmaker serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and voted for several American Energy Initiative bills to address high gas prices and help create jobs. 

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