Walorski Votes to Prevent Higher Energy Prices for Hoosier Families and Businesses

Walorski Votes to Prevent Higher Energy Prices for Hoosier Families and Businesses

House Passes Measures Opposing New Energy Taxes, Giving States Flexibility to Implement Ozone Standards

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) today voted to oppose higher taxes on energy that would raise costs for Hoosier families and businesses. The House passed H.Con.Res. 89, expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would harm the U.S. economy, and H.Con.Res. 112, expressing opposition to the president’s proposed $10 tax on every barrel of oil. Earlier this week, the House also passed H.R. 4775, the Ozone Standards Implementation Act, to give states greater flexibility in implementing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stringent new ozone and other air quality standards.

“Hoosier families and businesses already pay enough for gas and electricity. They don’t need higher energy taxes or burdensome regulations squeezing them even more,” Congresswoman Walorski said. “These measures will protect Hoosier families by sending a clear message to the administration that we won’t stand for new energy taxes, and will support Hoosier manufacturers by creating a more realistic timeline for complying with ozone regulations.”

BACKGROUND

H.R. 4775, the Ozone Standards Implementation Act, would allow states to comply with the EPA’s ozone standards in a more practical and cost-effective manner. The bill, which passed by a vote of 234 to 177, would phase in the implementation of two ozone standards and extend the review cycle of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) from five years to 10 years.

H.Con.Res. 89 expresses the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the U.S. economy. Such a tax would raise the price of gasoline, electricity, natural gas, and home heating oil, as well as increase other costs for both families and businesses, particularly in the manufacturing industry. The resolution, which passed by a vote of 237 to 163, calls for U.S. energy policy to instead encourage private sector energy innovation.

H.Con.Res. 112 expresses the sense of Congress opposing the $10.25 per barrel tax on oil proposed in the president’s fiscal year 2017 budget request. The tax would raise the price of gas by 25 cents per gallon, increasing the economic burden on American families and businesses. The resolution passed by a vote of 253 to 144.

Walorski represents the 2nd Congressional District of Indiana, serving as a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee and House Committee on Agriculture.

Walorski Votes to Protect Hoosier Farmers, Taxpayers from Burdensome Government Regulations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) issued the following statement after the House voted to disapprove of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule by passing a bill that would nullify the rule:

“President Obama continues to ignore the will of hardworking Hoosiers by expanding government regulation over ponds, ditches, and streams across Indiana. This rule will have serious consequences for our economy, threaten jobs, and significantly restrict the ability of Hoosiers to make decisions about their property. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that farmers, manufacturers, and others aren’t jeopardized by an overzealous bureaucracy and champion common sense legislation that protects Americans from excessive EPA regulations.”

S. J. Res. 22, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency relating to the definition of “waters of the United States” under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.” The resolution passed the House by a vote of 253-166 and now heads to the president’s desk.

Congress enacted the Clean Water Act in 1972 to establish a federal-state partnership to protect our nation’s waterways. Despite the partnership established under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the limits to federal authority, the Obama administration has decided to increase the federal government’s scope of federal jurisdiction under the CWA.

Last year, Walorski supported the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act (H.R. 1732), which required the EPA to withdraw the rule and mandated the EPA work with local entities to develop a new set of fair standards.

Walorski Introduces Resolution to Block EPA’s Most Expensive Rule in U.S. History

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) introduced a joint resolution disapproving of one of the most harmful and expensive rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulating ozone standards. This joint resolution utilizes the Congressional Review Act to empower Congress to stop the EPA’s harmful rule from taking effect. The Congressional Review Act allows for expedited consideration of a joint resolution of disapproval, preventing the implementation of a final rule and the issuance of any substantially similar rule. Under the expedited procedures a joint resolution must garner a simple majority and cannot be amended or filibustered in the Senate.

The rule joins a number of other costly, expansive, and crippling regulations put out by the EPA during the Obama Administration part of the new national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) to lower the ground-level ozone limit from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb.

According to the EPA’s own estimates, this new regulation will be one of the most crippling in history at $1.4 billion a year and could impact job growth in nearly one-third of all counties or county equivalents in the United States. These counties could face penalties, such as a loss of transportation funding, for non-compliance.

“While no one disagrees that the protection of air quality is an essential responsibility, Hoosiers have a proven track record of being good stewards of the environment while growing their businesses,” Walorski said. “Yet the EPA continues to issue rules that overwhelm Hoosiers businesses and threaten job creation. It’s time to end the EPA’s assault on business. We should focus on policies that grow the economy, not burying job creators under red tape and burdensome mandates.”

The EPA has a statutory duty under the Clean Air Act to periodically review the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six primary pollutants: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particle pollution and sulfur dioxide. These reviews are designed to ensure that the air quality standards are set at levels to protect public health.

Watch Walorski’s floor speech earlier today here

Walorski represents the 2nd Congressional District in Indiana, where she serves as a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee, and House Committee on Agriculture.

Walorski and Upton: Consumers Have Right to Know Why They’re Paying More at the Pump

Pair Send Letter to BP for Information on Refinery Shutdown, Pledge Rigorous Oversight

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, R-Jimtown, along with Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, have sent a letter to the chief executive officer of British Petroleum (BP) demanding answers to questions pertaining to the sudden closing of its refinery in Whiting, Ind., which has caused a sharp spike in gas prices throughout the upper Midwest.

“We sent this urgent letter to BP today because consumers have a right to know what is going on with the unscheduled shutdown of the Whiting refinery,” Upton and Walorski stated.

In their joint letter to Robert Dudley, Upton and Walorski noted: “Some areas of the Midwest have seen prices rise over $1 per gallon over a 24 hour period, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable of our constituents and resulting in large unpredicted costs in getting goods to market across the region. Additionally, some are worried that speculators may force additional increases due to lack of information.

“Needless to say, this incident poses a serious hardship for our districts.”

The BP Whiting Refinery in northern Indian shut down the largest of its three crude distillation units on Saturday.

Upton, who is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Walorski, whose Congressional district includes the refinery, demand answers from Dudley for their constituents by August 21 along with daily updates. They want to know how long the outage is expected to last and how BP will prevent price gouging, among other issues. A copy of the letter is attached.

Walorski Statement on Clean Power Plan

Mishawaka, Ind. – Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) today issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final Clean Power Plan unveiled by President Obama and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy:

“With one of the highest shares of manufacturing jobs in congressional districts across the country, Hoosiers farmers, manufacturers, and landowners understand we must be good stewards of our environment,” Walorski said. “However, no agency has been more overreaching as the EPA and the Clean Power Plan will only hurt Hoosiers’ ability to keep energy costs low, create jobs, and expand the economy. I am committed to holding the Obama administration accountable to stop their ‘regulatory spree’ and protect what matters most – Hoosier jobs and energy.”

Walorski represents the 2nd Congressional District in Indiana, where she serves as a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee and House Committee on Agriculture.

Walorski Supports Legislation to Approve Keystone XL Pipeline

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) released the following statement today after the House passed H.R. 5682:

“My House colleagues and I overwhelmingly supported a plan to create 9,000 shovel-ready jobs for hardworking Americans. Not only will this project contribute $3 billion toward the US economy, but it will also strengthen our energy security. I urge my Senate colleagues to take swift action in passing this legislation that will give Americans access to a safe, stable supply of oil from an important trading partner.”

Walorski represents the 2nd Congressional District in Indiana, where she serves as a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee, and House Budget Committee.

WALORSKI STATEMENT ON SENATE PASSAGE OF THE HHEATT ACT OF 2014

Bill Walorski cosponsored heads to President’s desk for signature

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) released the following statement regarding Senate passage of H.R. 4076, the Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation (HHEATT) Act of 2014, a bill she cosponsored to help ease the propane shortage in the Midwest.

“More than 17,000 Hoosiers in Indiana’s Second District rely on propane to heat their homes and businesses. I am pleased the Senate unanimously passed this commonsense measure to help ensure Hoosier families and small businesses have access to reasonably priced propane for the remainder of the winter.”

Extreme winter weather and distribution challenges led to an increased demand in propane that resulted in a propane shortage and record high propane costs in the Midwest. The HHEATT Act extends an emergency declaration waiving hours of service limitations for motor carriers delivering home heating fuels. This waiver, which lasts until May 31, 2014, will enable the rapid delivery of much-needed heating fuels throughout the Midwest.

Earlier this month, Walorski led a letter, along with other Hoosier lawmakers, to Secretary Anthony Foxx requesting an emergency extension exempting motor carriers from hours of service limitations. The U.S. DOT declared a state of emergency on January 14, 2014, and that exemption has been extended several times, most recently until March 15, 2014.

WALORSKI APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF ELECTRICITY SECURITY AND AFFORDABILITY ACT

U.S. House passes bill to set achievable standards for coal-fired power plants

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) today released the following statement regarding House passage of the Electricity Security and Affordability Act (H.R. 3826), a bipartisan bill that she co-sponsored:

“Today, the House passed a commonsense bill to help control soaring energy prices that are hurting Hoosier families and businesses. This bill reins in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and establishes achievable standards for coal-fired power plants while protecting the environment. Under the EPA’s proposed rule for new power plants, emissions standards are so strict that the creation of new coal-fired power plants is effectively prohibited. Such a prohibition comes at the expense of hardworking Hoosiers who will be unfairly forced to pay significantly higher energy bills—dealing a devastating blow to our utilities, businesses, and manufacturing sector. I urge the Senate to join the House and pass this sensible, fair measure to set achievable pollution standards for coal-fired power plants, which will protect hardworking Americans from unnecessary utility rate increases.”

Coal provides more than 80 percent of Indiana’s electricity. In December, Purdue University released a report predicting that Indiana energy prices will rise 32 percent by 2023 due in part to the EPA’s proposed regulations. This increase could have a devastating impact on economic growth and job creation, particularly for highly energy-intensive industries like manufacturing, which is Indiana’s largest industry.

WALORSKI APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF HHEATT ACT OF 2014

U.S. House acts to ease propane shortage in the Midwest

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) applauds House passage of H.R. 4076, the Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation (HHEATT) Act of 2014. This bipartisan, commonsense legislation guarantees the extension of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s emergency declaration and waiver of hours of service limitations until May 31, 2014. This will allow the rapid delivery of much-needed propane and home heating fuels throughout the Midwest.

Unusually harsh winter weather and propane distribution challenges have led to a shortage resulting in record-high propane prices. In Indiana’s Second District, over 17,000 homes depend on propane as a fuel source.

“As frigid temperatures and winter storms persist, affordable, reliable energy is crucial for Hoosier families who should not be forced to choose between heating their homes and putting food on the kitchen table. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to find long-term solutions to our nation’s energy distribution challenges,” said Walorski, who is an original cosponsor of the HHEATT Act.

In January, Walorski led a letter, along with other Hoosier lawmakers, to Secretary Anthony Foxx requesting an emergency extension exempting motor carriers from hours of service limitations. The U.S. DOT declared a state of emergency on January 14, 2014; however, the emergency exemption expired on March 1, 2014.

WALORSKI COSPONSORS HHEATT ACT OF 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) joined Chairman Bill Shuster to introduce H.R. 4076, the “Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation Act of 2014,” to guarantee the extension of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s emergency declaration until May 31, 2014. The emergency declaration waives hours of service limitations to enable the rapid delivery of much-needed propane and home heating fuels throughout the Midwest.

Extreme winter weather has led to an increase in demand for propane, which is used to heat over 17,000 homes in Indiana’s Second District. The increase in demand combined with distribution challenges have led to record high propane costs in the Midwest.

“As propane costs soar, Hoosier families should not be forced to choose between heating their home and putting food on the kitchen table, which is why I am proud to cosponsor the HHEATT Act of 2014,” said Walorski. “The HHEATT Act will help ensure Hoosier families and small businesses have access to reasonably priced propane for the remainder of the winter.”

Earlier this month, Walorski led a letter, along with other Hoosier lawmakers, to Secretary Anthony Foxx requesting an emergency extension exempting motor carriers from hours of service limitations. The U.S. DOT declared a state of emergency on January 14, 2014 that would have expired on February 11, 2014, but the U.S. DOT recently extended the emergency exemption until March 1, 2014.