Democrats Block Scalise Amendment Prohibiting Increase in Electricity Costs for American Hospitals

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) offered an amendment to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's portion of the Build Back China Act that would prevent the oil and natural gas tax in the underlying bill from going into effect until the Environmental Protection Agency can ensure that it won't cause increased health care costs. Whip Scalise released the following statement after Committee Democrats voted against his amendment:

"This radical new natural gas tax will raise electricity costs on hard-working families by more than 12%, and directly violates President Biden's promise not to increase taxes on families making less than $400,000 as well as his promise to lower health care costs. America's hospitals and families shouldn't have to suffer the consequences of Washington liberals' radical Green New Deal policies that will cause their health care and energy costs to skyrocket. This new tax will negatively impact our hospitals which are already stretched thin as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will raise health care costs on families who are already experiencing the inflationary sticker shock from President Biden's wasteful spending bills that already are hitting their pocket books.

"This new natural gas tax also aims to destroy America's oil and gas industry, and will certainly raise energy costs for American families above the skyrocketing increases they're already paying. We should be focusing on smart policies that increase American energy production so that families don't get saddled with higher utility costs and our hospitals are equipped to better serve our communities."

Background:

Speaker Pelosi's $3.5 trillion tax-and-spending spree will cause inflation to rise and decimate the United States' energy independence. Congressional Democrats want to impose a methane tax on American families as part of their radical Green New Deal agenda. American companies which produce some of the cleanest and most reliable fossil fuels in the world should not be punished to advance Democrats' ridiculous policies. Meanwhile, America's adversaries like China and Russia are exempted from these kinds of taxes and mandates.

This amendment would ensure that the oil and natural gas tax included in the Build Back China Act will not increase the cost of health care in America's hospitals, which are already overwhelmed treating COVID-19 patients and are also having to respond to disasters like Hurricane Ida in South Louisiana.