Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Republicans Prioritizing Big Oil And Gas Companies By Rolling Back Commonsense Regulations At The Expense Of The American People

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Senate Republicans prioritizing the profits of Big Oil and Gas companies at the expense of the environment and the health of the American people by working to overturn a law Democrats passed to prevent consumers from footing the bill of Big Oil’s methane waste. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Today, Senate Republicans will advance a measure undoing one of important tools we have to lower energy prices and hold Big Oil and Gas accountable.

The Republicans, once again in obeisance to the oil and gas industry, are pushing a resolution to reverse the Methane Waste Emissions Charge, which Democrats passed in the Inflation Reduction Act.

It makes Big Oil companies pay when they leak excessive and harmful levels of methane.

Typically, the more methane a company leaks during drilling, the more these companies will have to charge for the methane they do deliver, and the more gas prices will go up for families and businesses.

The oil companies, they don't believe in what our economists call externalities. They think they can just throw methane into the air and let everyone else pay the price, in terms of climate change, in terms of bad health for people. And it will make gas prices – what they want to do, our Republican colleagues –go up for families and businesses.

Our law was a reasonable, common sense, carefully tailored safeguard to prevent consumers from footing the bill of Big Oil’s methane waste, paired with federal funding to help Big Oil companies reduce their waste.

Reducing methane waste in the atmosphere saves consumers money. It protects local communities from pollution.

And methane, as you know, is a super potent greenhouse gas, and scientists agree that reducing methane is one of the best things we can do to combat climate change. Its deleterious effects on the atmosphere are many, many times greater than Co2 is.

So, why do Republicans want to overturn it so badly?

Because as typical, Republicans are putting the needs of Big Oil and Gas companies over the needs of the American people, over the health of the American people, over the health of our globe.  

Americans don’t want Big Oil and Big Gas running the show.

Americans don’t want more pollution in their communities.

Americans don’t want higher gas prices.

But that’s what the Republicans are doing with today’s CRA vote.

Today’s vote will show the American people once again who is on your side, and who is on the side of Big Oil and Gas. I hope everyone watches closely.

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