Hillary Scholten: “Permitting reform, we all want it. There is a simple solution. Separate the question. But why not? We need to ask why…”

“Permitting reform, we all want it. There is a simple solution. Separate the question. But why not? We need to ask why not. Because this bill includes massive handouts to big corporations and incentivizes them to leak methane into the atmosphere. Let's just look at the bill's name: LECA. They are telling it like it is, folks, and we should be listening. There is a choice being made here by House Republicans, Mr. Chair. They are not doing this to make our system more efficient or to lower costs for the American people, quite the opposite. This bill repeals $4.5 billion in home electrification, a program that the Department of Energy estimates could save Americans thousands of dollars annually. If we were focused on lowering costs for American families, this is what we would be focused on. I talk to west Michiganders every single day about what they want and what they need. We want to protect the Great Lakes. We want to lower our energy costs, and that means investing in conservation efforts and putting smart regulations in place that support the longevity of the Great Lakes economy. That means ensuring a future for the next generation of west Michiganders. The Big Oil giveaway act does none of that. It greatly expands companies' ability to exploit public land. Michigan-3 is home to a large portion of the Grand River watershed and miles of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline. I support protecting our most beautiful protected areas, not stripping them for parts.…”