[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 55 (Monday, March 27, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               UNLOCK AMERICA'S DOMESTIC ENERGY POTENTIAL

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, American families are faced with 
historically high inflation and energy prices.
  Energy demand is expected to increase by 50 percent by 2050. Gas and 
oil needs will increase, and they will be met whether it is in this 
country or other countries around the world that haven't gone all-
electric or aren't being forced into doing so.
  America's needs for minerals necessary for the defense and tech 
sectors are projected to grow exponentially.
  To meet these crises, an all-of-the-above approach is needed for 
American energy. Unfortunately, the NEPA permitting process hinders 
American domestic energy expansion.
  For example, it can take a decade to open a new mine in the U.S., 
while other countries such as Canada and Australia take only 3 years to 
do the same. There is nothing new under the Sun on what needs to be 
permitted. Get it done.
  The NEPA permitting process is filled with repetitive assessments, 
lengthy and expensive litigation, and bureaucratic hurdles. It is 
almost impossible for new energy and infrastructure projects to ever 
see the light of day, but I think they want it that way.
  What? Are we supposed to all live in caves and eat mealworms? That 
seems to be the direction we are going.

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