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This week, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5), a senior Republican member on the Energy and Commerce Committee who serves on the Energy Subcommittee, introduced the Powering America through Domestic Energy (PADE) Act. This legislation would refocus the efforts of the Administration to pursue North American energy independence, rather than foreign energy dependence, especially from Russia.

Specifically, the PADE Act would prohibit American importation of crude oil and petroleum products from the Russia Federation while simultaneously prohibiting the President from declaring and implementing a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing or on oil and gas leasing on federal lands unless Congress authorizes the moratorium. Finally, the PADE Act will declare with one Congressional voice that the United States should support, and not limit access to all domestic sources of energy development.

“Under the previous Administration, the United States was a net total energy exporter” said Latta. “Unfortunately, since the Biden Administration has taken the helm, their policies have taken aim at domestic energy production. The increases Americans are seeing at the pump are not just due to the conflict in Ukraine, but also the inflationary policies and efforts to restrict American energy by the Administration. If the United States were to fully unleash its energy potential, the kind of shocks to the energy sector we are experiencing now would be drastically decreased. In turn, we would not be lining the pockets of Vladimir Putin to continue this unprovoked and heinous attack on Ukraine.”

Representatives Troy Balderson (OH-12), Larry Bucshon (IN-8), Mike Carey (OH-15), Bob Gibbs (OH-7), Dave Joyce (OH-14), Bill Johnson (OH-6), Brian Babin (TX-36), Jeff Duncan (SC-3), Ron Estes (KS-4), Drew Ferguson (GA-3), Virginia Foxx (NC-5), Brett Guthrie (KY-2), Richard Hudson (NC-8), Jake LaTurner (KS-2), Mary E. Miller (IL-15), John Moolenaar (MI-4), Ralph Norman (SC-5), Greg Steube (FL-17), David Valadao (CA-21), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), John Carter (TX-31), Tim Walberg (MI-7), Jackie Walorski (IN-2), Andrew Clyde (GA-9), and Joe Wilson (SC-2) have joined Latta as co-sponsors. 

According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States imported 245,194,000 barrels of crude oil and petroleum products from the Russian Federation last year. The price tag of this energy reliance purchase is approximately $17.3 billion that is being pumped into Vladimir Putin’s economy, and in turn being used to wage war on Ukraine.

Also, this week, Latta became an original cosponsor of the American Energy Independence From Russia Act, which would require President Biden to make an energy security plan within 30 days. The bill works to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, unleash U.S. LNG exports to boost natural gas production, restart oil and gas leasing on federal lands, and protect energy and mineral development from attacks by the Biden Administration.

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