Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

I applaud the efforts that BOEM is taking to encourage unionization and PLAs in the offshore wind workforce.

I am particularly focused on making sure that we secure good jobs and invest in building and nurturing the skills needed for this new and emerging clean energy industry.

I applaud you for your service.

Thank you, Chairman Stauber, Ranking Member Ocasio-Cortez, and members of the Subcommittee.

The safety of our communities must be prioritized, especially for frontline communities that are disproportionately burdened with pollution and other risks.

These projects will not just bring New Yorkers and the country clean energy. They will bring billions of dollars of revenue and 10,000 jobs to the state.

BOEM is playing a vital role in facilitating the development of offshore wind energy, which has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs.

USGS needs to focus on issues that matter to the Americans here at home, and I am happy to support them when they do.

Thank you Mr. Chair, and I would like to thank Mr. Dodaro again for his insightful testimony today.

This ransom note that the GOP has issued this week on gutting these vital social programs, climate programs, are really going to undermine the fiscal responsibility of the Federal Government.

There was an 87-percent decline in audits for taxpayers making between $500,000 and $5 million.

Auditing the rich is an enormously complex process that takes a lot of manpower, and the cuts to IRS enforcement are strategic, and they have resulted in a loss of revenue.

We can raise revenue. In fact, when tax cuts in 2017 were passed by the other side of the aisle...

Report, GAO, 'Tax Compliance: Trends of IRS Audit Rates and Results for Individual Taxpayers by Income'; submitted by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.

We are very proud of much of the work and much of the progress that has happened over the last two years.

Instead of looking at climate and instead of looking at cuts to healthcare, we should examine why our colleagues and the Republican Party is so invested in protecting the wealthiest people in this society.

Can you explain the concern with respect to the equity of audits and, particularly, any drops in audit rates for incomes making over $500,000 a year?

And we have seen, according to your May 2022 report, Mr. Dodaro, GAO, you reported a decrease in audit rates of individual tax returns, correct?

Let us look into the decreasing IRS' revenue that has contributed to a loss in revenue from taxing the wealthiest Americans.

In fact, when tax cuts in 2017 were passed by the other side of the aisle, we see wonderful tax cuts for yacht owners and private jets.

This week Republicans introduced their legislation to bring the U.S. Government into default.

Report, GAO, "Tax Compliance: Trends of IRS Audit Rates and Results for Individual Taxpayers by Income"; submitted by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.

Given the precarious nature of the project's approval in the courts, and given your role in the decision, will the Department consider holding off on approving permits to drill for Willow until the litigation is settled?

Oil production is at an all-time high under the Biden administration. Higher than even under the Trump administration.

We are very grateful for many of the decisions and policies coming out of the Department, but we are also very concerned about some of this business as usual.