Political Quotes

“According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration data, the average price for gasoline in 2022 was $1.80 per gallon more than when President Biden assumed office. H.R. 1 is not just about energy independence. That is the underlying foundation, but what it is really about is the quality of life for the American people here at home and the cost of energy that is feeding the skyrocketing inflation. The average price of gas in 2020 was $2.26 per gallon. The average price of gas in 2022 was $4.06 per gallon, reaching a peak of over $5 per gallon in June of 2022. According to the Department of Energy's Low-Income Energy Affordability Data, the LEAD Tool, low-income households spend 8.6 percent of their income on energy expenses. Depending on location and income, certain households spend as much as 30 percent of their income on energy expenses. The energy burden for low-income households is three times higher than non-low-income households. In rural parts of the country, like where I represent in Appalachia, you are very familiar with that area, it is a real problem when families have to choose between putting gas in their car or groceries on the table. It is a real challenge when they have to choose between paying their heating bill or buying clothes for their kids to go to school. This is what H.R. 1 begins to address for the American people. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr.…”