Jim Baird: “I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) for yielding and for all the work done in committee to get this…”

“I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) for yielding and for all the work done in committee to get this important piece of legislation to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I also thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren), the ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, for her leadership and support on this bill. Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of misconceptions about what this bill does, and, unfortunately, there are some who are intentionally spreading misinformation about this bill for political gain. Before I continue any further, let's put these rumors to rest by telling the American people what this bill does not do. This bill does not give Federal agencies any authority to seize private property. I am a farmer and a private landowner, and I would never sponsor or support a bill that would give the Federal Government more power to seize private land. This bill does not specify any land for carbon capture projects or undermine the property rights of American citizens. This bill does not directly benefit or impact private companies with an interest in carbon sequestration. The United States has been using carbon sequestration methods to store excess carbon emissions underground for over 50 years, and President Biden's Department of Energy is currently studying large- scale carbon sequestration at the Federal level.…”