To watch Chairman Capito’s floor remarks, click here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, voted to overturn the Biden Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waste Emissions Charge (WEC) regulation as part of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP) under the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. This rule enabled the collection of the Democrats’ natural gas tax, which would hurt American energy generation, damage our economy, and be detrimental to energy jobs across our country. The Senate approved the Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval, which was introduced by U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and co-sponsored by Chairman Capito, by a vote of 52-47.

Prior to the final vote on the CRA, Chairman Capito delivered remarks on the Senate floor outlining the consequences of the natural gas tax and the importance of natural gas to American energy dominance, and urged her colleagues to support the measure.

Below are the floor remarks of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.

“I rise today in support of my friend from North Dakota, Senator Hoeven’s, Congressional Review Act resolution to block the implementation of the Biden administration's Waste Emissions Charge, otherwise known as the natural gas tax.

“Since the day this regulation was finalized last November, I pledged that I would work with President Trump and my colleagues in the Congress to repeal this misguided, anti-energy tax. Today in the Senate, that is exactly what we're working to do.

“We must recognize that we are in a critical moment for American energy. The North American Energy Reliability Corporation has found that over the next 10 years, due to a rise in energy consumption and the early retirement of our existing fossil fuel generation, our country could face major electric generation and reliability concerns.

“We must take action now to ensure that our future demand is met, that the lights remain on, our homes remain warm, and our economy keeps moving for Americans all across this country. We can do this by continuing to invest in natural gas.

“Over 60% of American homes, every day, heat their homes, their water, or their food with natural gas. Natural gas is responsible for over 40% of electricity generation, and fuels more than half of our industrial sector’s process heat. While the natural gas tax fails to recognize this reality, let's look at what is true.

“Fracking and shale gas have both revolutionized and transformed American energy, leading to lower prices, job growth, and increased American energy security. According to the Energy Information Administration, the rapid expansion of natural gas-fired power plants, in this country, has decreased the power sector's carbon dioxide emissions by 35% over the last 25 years.

“Natural gas has the potential to further reduce American greenhouse gas emissions if we continue to increase production.

“Natural gas is affordable, reliable, and a clean source of energy, vital to our country and our economy. We should be expanding natural gas production, not restricting it. Instead, the natural gas tax will constrain American natural gas production, leading to increased energy prices and providing a boost to the production of natural gas in Russia.

“Simply put, repealing the natural gas tax is a win for our economy, a win for our natural security, and a win for our environment.

“As part of establishing this tax, the Democrats’ so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ ordered the EPA to revise its subpart W requirements in order to facilitate the reporting and calculation of the tax.

“The EPA subpart W revisions blatantly disregard and overstep even the partisan mandates of the IRA, and would excessively increase the tax burden on American energy under this natural gas tax. The revised emission factors with its subpart W reporting requirements make broad assumptions about oil and gas operations and technology that will lead to inaccurate reporting for many owners and operators.

“The rule would not only radically expand the scope of emissions required to be reported by each facility under the greenhouse gas reporting program, but it also excessively expands the number of facilities that are covered by subpart W, and consequently, responsible to pay the natural gas tax.

“Due to this uninformed and artificial overestimate of U.S. methane emissions, some smaller operators, who were once below the waste emissions threshold, are now at risk of seeing their reported methane emissions inflated, and owe large sums under the natural gas tax. If not repealed, this rule will arbitrarily increase the cost and burden of reporting under subpart W, motivated by the Democrats’ interest in growing the revenues generated by their natural gas tax.

“This will make it even more difficult and expensive to produce, transport, and consume American natural gas, and in turn, will hurt both American families who rely on the energy, and the environment of the communities that we live.

“It's important that we note that our efforts today works in tandem with this Chamber's recently passed budget resolution. As Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I have long intended to stop the natural gas tax, and we will continue to pursue this through the reconciliation process.

“Today's vote on the CRA provides all senators the opportunity to put our vote on record after witnessing the Biden EPA’s bait and switch on the implementation of this misguided policy.

“I encourage my colleagues to support the CRA that is central to our mission of American energy dominance, and rejects this tax that will bolster our adversaries, increase energy costs on American families, and put our energy future at risk.”

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