U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) released the following statement to commend Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt for withdrawing the Information Collection Request (ICR) for the oil and natural gas industry to provide information to develop regulations for methane emissions from existing sources: “EPA Administrator Pruitt’s decision to withdraw the methane emissions ICR for the oil and natural gas industry is a welcome move away from the previous Adminis... Read more

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) voted yesterday in support of two resolutions of disapproval for two Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for new and existing power plants. S.J. Res 23 and 24 passed the House by votes of 235-188 and 242-180 respectively. “There is no question that these burdensome regulations will drive up costs for businesses and consumers alike,” said Thornberry. “We all want clear air and clean water, but with these rules, the administration is seek... Read more

Acting to grow the American economy, create more jobs, and help ensure the nation’s energy security, the U.S. House passed a bill today to repeal the crude oil export ban, H.R. 702. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) is a cosponsor of H.R. 702 and voted in favor of the bill, which passed by a vote of 261 to 159. “Removing this ban on oil exports will benefit our local oil workers and producers. This bill is a commonsense move to get rid of an outdated law,” Thornberry said. “Creating jobs ... Read more

The President has signed in to law legislation that included a provision that makes the excise tax on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and diesel comparable on an energy-equivalent basis. The provision was introduced earlier this year by U.S. Congressmen Mac Thornberry (TX-13) and John Larson (CT-01) as the “LNG Excise Tax Equalization Act of 2015,” H.R. 905. The federal excise tax on LNG and diesel has been set at 24.3 cents per gallon. Because it takes 1.7 gallons of LNG to produce the same amount ... Read more

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule on regulating greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants: “We have a responsibility to be good stewards of our environment, but that doesn’t mean that the federal government should be burdening the States with regulations that ultimately hurt consumers by driving up energy prices and threatening the reliability of the nation’s electric grid... Read more

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) introduced the Federal Regulatory Certainty for Water Act, H.R. 2705, to clarify the definition of “navigable waters” in the Clean Water Act (CWA) to help protect private property owners from regulatory expansion by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). “Those who live and work in our part of Texas, especially the farmers and ranchers, understand the importance of clean water and work hard to be good ... Read more

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) voted this week in support of two bills to rein in overly-aggressive regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by making the agency more transparent and accountable. Both bills passed with bipartisan support in the House. “People are sick and tired of regulations that hurt jobs and our economy, but what is more upsetting is that those regulations are often based on science and research that is never made available to the public,” sai... Read more

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) introduced a bill Wednesday, H.R. 905, to make the excise tax on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and diesel comparable on an energy-equivalent basis. Thornberry was joined by Rep. John Larson of Connecticut in introducing the “LNG Excise Tax Equalization Act of 2015” in the U.S. House of Representatives. Currently, the federal excise tax on LNG and diesel is set at 24.3 cents per gallon. Because it takes 1.7 gallons of LNG to produce the same amount of e... Read more

As one of the first major legislative moves in the new Congress, the House passed a bill providing congressional authorization of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Area Congressman Mac Thornberry voted to approve the measure, which passed 266 to 153. “There are no more excuses to block the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is not rocket science; it is common sense. The House is acting yet again to get the project moving,” said Rep. Thornberry. “The only things standing in the way of building this... Read more

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a spending bill yesterday that provides funding for nearly all of the government’s operations through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2015. The exception is the Department of Homeland Security, which will receive funding for less than 90 days, expiring on February 27, 2015. Under the agreement, overall discretionary spending has been reduced by $165 billion since Fiscal Year 2010. The legislation passed with a bipartisan vote of 219 to 206. Cong... Read more