Speaker Johnson Statement on the House Reversing President Biden’s Catastrophic Natural Gas Ban

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — Today, Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House passed the H.R. 1949, Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025.

“President Trump and Congressional Republicans are working together to unleash reliable American energy to lower costs for families, support American workers and energy producers, and ensure America is never again held hostage by radical climate bureaucrats and activists. President Biden’s natural gas export ban was among his most damaging policy decisions, and it was a major setback for American energy, workers, producers, consumers, partners, and allies,” Speaker Johnson said. “The House passage of the Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act helps guarantee that a ban is never placed on American LNG exports again, depoliticizes the permitting process and unleashes American energy producers from the bonds of the Biden-era subversive bureaucratic overreach. This legislation codifies more of President Trump’s executive orders, advances Republicans’ energy dominance agenda, and returns to regular order on LNG exports so America can once again be a leader in the global market.”

“By unleashing American energy, House Republicans are leading the way to support our nation’s energy security, strengthen our grid, and lower prices for hard-working families,” Chairman Guthrie said. “The REFINER Act will help to ensure our refineries are being used effectively to produce the oil, gas, and other critical feedstocks we rely upon while the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act expands American energy production and infrastructure by removing U.S. LNG export restrictions, which the Biden-Harris Administration politicized and abused.”

“Today’s House passage of my Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act is another major victory in achieving American energy dominance. My legislation reforms the broken, politically weaponized approval process so we can streamline permitting for exporting LNG once and for all,” Congressman Pfluger said. “It’s simple: Exporting American LNG strengthens our economy, stabilizes prices, drives much-needed investment in energy infrastructure, and bolsters the energy security of our global partners. I thank my colleagues for supporting this critical legislation, and I urge its swift passage in the Senate under Senator Scott’s strong leadership.”

Background:

  • Under the four years of President Biden, not a single new LNG export authorization was issued as a result of a misguided and politically motivated ban of natural gas exports.
  • Since President Trump took office in January 2025, his administration has issued at least three final LNG export authorizations, and U.S. developers have made final investment decisions on six LNG export projects worth more than $70 billion.
  • H.R. 1949 depoliticizes the export of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) by eliminating the requirement for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to authorize its export and instead giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sole authority over the approval process.
  • Under this legislation, FERC would have the exclusive authority to approve or deny any application for authorization for the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a facility to export natural gas from the U.S. to a foreign country or import natural gas from a foreign country.
  • Nothing in this legislation limits the authority of the President to impose sanctions on a foreign government, including a country that is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, to prohibit imports or exports.

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Speaker Johnson Statement on House Passage of the REFINER Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement after House passage of H.R. 3109, the Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining Act (REFINER Act).

“Today, House Republicans secured another commonsense solution to continue our success in bringing down energy costs and fuel our economy. The House passed the REFINER Act to deregulate, evaluate, and expand U.S. refining capacity so we can harness the full potential of American energy,” Speaker Johnson said. “This legislation advances more of President Trump’s executive orders and energy dominance agenda to increase American energy production, create jobs, strengthen national security, and secure reliable, affordable energy to power America’s homes, businesses, and economy.”

“By unleashing American energy, House Republicans are leading the way to support our nation’s energy security, strengthen our grid, and lower prices for hard-working families,” Chairman Guthrie said. “The REFINER Act will help to ensure our refineries are being used effectively to produce the oil, gas, and other critical feedstocks we rely upon while the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act expands American energy production and infrastructure by removing U.S. LNG export restrictions, which the Biden-Harris Administration politicized and abused.”

“As energy demand grows, we have to ensure our refining capacity grows with it to maintain America’s energy dominance,” Chairman Latta said. “The REFINER Act will provide the data and insight needed to guide decisions that reinforce our energy infrastructure and help keep fuel costs low for American families. I thank my House colleagues for supporting and passing my bill and urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this legislation as soon as possible.”

Background:

  • Over the last several years, our nation’s refining capacity has shrunk due to onerous Federal and State policies that make it prohibitively difficult to operate. From 2020 to 2022, refining capacity in the United States decreased by more than one million barrels of fuel per day, and the number of refineries dropped from 135 to 128.
  • The REFINER Act would require the National Petroleum Council to collect and examine critical information regarding the role of petrochemical refineries in the U.S., and their contributions to energy security, reliability, and affordability. The report must analyze opportunities to expand capacity, as well as current risks to refineries, including negative policy impacts.

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LEADER JEFFRIES: “THE COST OF LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference, where he emphasized that House Democrats remain focused on ending the Republican healthcare crisis, extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits and lowering the high cost of living. 

LEADER JEFFRIES: Donald Trump’s presidency has been a disaster. He’s deeply unpopular, and Republicans have failed the American people on the economy. The cost of living in the United States of America is completely and totally out of control. Republicans promised to lower the high cost of living on day one. Costs have not gone down, they’ve gone up. Housing costs are up. Electricity bills through the roof. Childcare costs up. Insurance costs up. And Republicans continue to refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And as a result of that, tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically-increased health insurance costs such that they will be unable to go see a doctor when they need one.

The Affordable Care Act tax credits expire on December 31st. Donald Trump and Republicans don’t give a damn. They’ve done nothing to deal with the healthcare crisis that Republicans have created. We need to act with urgency now and extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Tens of millions of people are in open enrollment right now. They’ve seen that their health insurance premiums, copays and deductibles are going to increase in some instances by $1,000 or $2,000 per month. That is unacceptable, unsustainable and it’s un-American.

It’s time for my Republican colleagues to stop burying their heads in the sand and do something to actually make life better for working-class Americans, everyday Americans and middle-class Americans, as opposed to what Republicans have done the entirety of this year, which is just to focus on making life better for the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected. Enough pandering to big Republican donors. Enough. Do something. Partner with Democrats to lower the high cost of living and to make life better for the American people.

Full press conference can be watched here.

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House Passes Latta’s REFINER Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy, announced that the House of Representatives has passed his Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining (REFINER) Act to help increase energy refining capacity in the United States.

Over the last several years, North America lost an estimated one million barrels of fuel per day due to low refining capacity. The REFINER Act would address this crisis by collecting critical information, including identifying factors leading to low refining capacity, and presenting lawmakers with recommendations to expand refining capacity to ensure an abundance of affordable and reliable energy in the United States. 

“As energy demand grows, we have to ensure our refining capacity grows with it to maintain America’s energy dominance. The REFINER Act will provide the data and insight needed to guide decisions that reinforce our energy infrastructure and help keep fuel costs low for American families. I thank my House colleagues for supporting and passing my bill and urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this legislation as soon as possible,” Latta said.

“By unleashing American energy, House Republicans are leading the way to support our nation’s energy security, strengthen our grid, and lower prices for hard-working families. The REFINER Act will help to ensure our refineries are being used effectively to produce the oil, gas, and other critical feedstocks we rely upon while the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act expands American energy production and infrastructure by removing U.S. LNG export restrictions, which the Biden-Harris Administration politicized and abused,” said Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Background on the REFINER Act: 
The REFINER Act would require the National Petroleum Council to submit a report to the Secretary of Energy and Congress, detailing:  

  • the role of petrochemical refineries in the U.S. and the contribution they make to the energy security of the United States, including the reliability of supply in the U.S. of liquid fuels and feedstocks, and the affordability of liquid fuels for consumers in the U.S.;  
  • analyses and projections for the capacity of petrochemical refineries in the U.S., opportunities for expanding capacity, and current risks to the refineries;  
  • an assessment of any Federal or State executive actions, regulations, or policies that have caused or contributed to a decline in refining capacity; and  
  • any recommendations for Federal agencies and Congress to encourage an increase in refining capacity. 

Congressman Latta spoke on the House floor in support of his bill, watch here.

Rep. Norcross Votes to Release Epstein Files

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ) voted to release all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the Department of Justice’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.

“After the Trump Administration attempted to block this vote at every turn, House Democrats had to invoke a rarely used procedural motion to guarantee that the House of Representatives would vote on releasing the Epstein Files. Today, after working to bring this bill to the floor, I will be voting yes to release these files,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “Epstein’s victims deserve justice, and his accomplices must be held accountable for their horrific crimes. The American people deserve to know the truth. In Congress, I’m working to hold these despicable abusers accountable, no matter how powerful or well-connected they are.”

Earlier this year, House Republicans voted to effectively block a debate on whether or not the Department of Justice should release the Epstein files. Last week, the House Oversight Committee released alarming new emails about convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplices.

Congressman Norcross joined 217 of his Congressional colleagues in signing a discharge petition to force a vote in the House of Representatives on releasing all documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The discharge petition is a procedural motion that allows Members of Congress to bypass the Speaker of the House and send a bill to the House floor for a vote.  

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Norcross, Conaway Receive Response from Homeland Security on Housing Undocumented Immigrants at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) and Congressman Herb Conaway (NJ-03), Members of the House Armed Services Committee, announced that they received a response letter from the Department of Homeland Security after requesting more information on the Trump Administration’s intent to house undocumented immigrants at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The letter states that there is currently no approved construction plan or timeline for housing undocumented immigrants at the joint base.

“The Trump Administration’s ongoing disregard for due process and humane treatment of undocumented immigrants has required us to press repeatedly for answers and fulfill our congressional oversight responsibilities,” the lawmakers said. “While we acknowledge that the Department of Homeland Security has finally responded to our questions, we will continue to monitor for any further developments regarding plans to house undocumented immigrants at the joint base. Our priority is to uphold the human rights standards that these individuals deserve and to ensure that plans to house undocumented immigrants at the joint base do not interfere with military readiness. We will continue to keep a close watch on any changes to this proposal.”

After learning about the Trump Administration’s intent to house undocumented immigrants at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the Congressmen visited the joint base to conduct their congressional duty of oversight and sent a letter to Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Noem, and Acting Director Lyons, demanding clarification and expressing opposition to the plan. The deadline for the federal agencies to respond to the letter was August 15, 2025.

On September 29, the Members received a letter from Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, M. Roosevelt Ditlevson, in response to the letter they sent to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in July. The letter can be read here.

Although the response letter from Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, was postmarked for September 29th, the Members did not receive the letter until November 17th. The letter can be read here.

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Read More (Reps. Steube and Webster Introduce HEALTH Act)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

November 20, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) introduced today the Helping Everyone Access Long Term Healthcare (HEALTH) Act. This bill would establish a tax deduction for physicians that provide charity care to CHIP and Medicaid-eligible patients. “We are blessed to live in a country with thousands of doctors and physicians who give back to their communities,” said Rep. Steube. “My HEALTH Act will honor their contributions by creating a tax deduction for the charity care they provide to lower-income families and children. Not only will this reaffirm our country’s support for those who give back, but it will expand access to quality healthcare for families in need.”“This bill helps more Americans have access to the care they need, from the doctor they choose, at a price they can afford,” said Rep. Webster. “The HEALTH Act offers a new solution to provide healthcare services to low-income families and has the potential to help Medicaid and CHIP programs save on costs. This legislation allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide pro-bono healthcare services to low-income individuals, including children in the CHIP programs, in exchange for a simple tax deduction.”The HEALTH Act has the support of the Association of Mature American Citizens.
“AMAC Action proudly supports the HEALTH Act, a policy first developed by AMAC’s late founder Dan Weber, which allows physicians to deduct pro bono care for CHIP and Medicaid-eligible patients. This commonsense reform gives American citizensaccess to timely primary care and also supports physicians who struggle with the complexity of the Medicaid and CHIP reimbursement systems, relieving pressure on emergency rooms and strengthening care in the communities where it is needed most.AMAC Action commends Representatives Webster and Steube for their leadership in reducing costs and increasing access to quality healthcare.” —Rebecca Weber, Chairwoman, AMAC Action Background: The HEALTH Act creates a tax deduction for medical professionals that provide charity care for patients eligible for CHIP and Medicaid. Sex reassignment surgeries, hormone treatments, and other gender alteration procedures are excluded from this deduction. Read the full bill text here.

Congresswoman Torres Denounces Trump’s Call for violence Against Democrats “hang them”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

November 20, 2025

This is a Constitutional Crisis that We Have Seen Before

Washington D.C. – Congresswoman Norma Torres issued the following statement after President Trump called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested, tried for “sedition,” and subjected to penalties “punishable by death”:

“The President of the United States is calling for Members of Congress to be executed. Those are words no President should ever speak and they represent a direct threat to our democracy. It is disgusting and unacceptable.

“This is about more than a social media post. This is a constitutional crisis. We’ve seen this horror before: On January 6, 2021, Trump ordered his supporters to march to the Capitol to stop the certification of an election he lost. His mob erected a gallows to hang his own Vice President.

“Now he’s calling on them again to target Democratic lawmakers. All because my colleagues correctly reminded service members of their legal duty to refuse unlawful orders.

“We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. And we will not allow any President to undermine the Constitution or incite violence against elected officials.”

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Ranking Members Raskin, Jayapal, Durbin, and Padilla: Secretaries Noem, Rubio, and Kennedy Too Cowardly to Defend Shocking Decision to Abandon Refugees, Unlawfully Dispatch Deputies Instead

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Washington, D.C. (November 20, 2025)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, Sen. Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, issued the following statement after Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. refused to meet their legal obligation to consult with Congress on the Administration’s refugee admissions plan—sending deputies to stage a charade consultation instead:

“51 days after the legal deadline, the Trump Administration today came to Capitol Hill in response to our monthslong bipartisan demands that they follow the law and consult with Congress on their refugee admissions plan.

“It is outrageous that Secretaries Noem, Rubio, and Kennedy were too cowardly to come before us and explain their shocking decision to abandon nearly 130,000 vetted, approved refugees facing persecution and violence abroad. Instead they sent their deputies, in brazen violation of the law which explicitly requires a consultation by ‘Cabinet-level representatives of the President.’

“The Trump Secretaries ignored their legal obligations to face us because their policy is indefensible. It is impossible to defend leaving desperate families—men, women, and children who were promised a lifeline—twisting in the winds of global violence. It is impossible to justify a policy that abandons America’s historic commitment to offering safe harbor to the persecuted. Trump’s team has slashed refugee admissions to the lowest level in our nation’s history and reserved the bulk of the few remaining slots for white South African Afrikaners. They didn’t show up because their betrayal is unspeakable.

“The U.S. Refugee Resettlement program has always been a bipartisan matter of pride for our country, and a critically important tool in our toolbox for achieving multiple goals that are critically important to American interests. The destruction of the program will hurt our humanitarian and diplomatic efforts for decades to come. 

“After months of evasion, diversion, and invoking the Republican shutdown as an alibi, the Administration thought they’d pacify us with more disrespect for the law. They were sorely mistaken.

“The Secretaries couldn’t be bothered to come to Congress today, but they should at least learn the route: they’ll be spending plenty of time here when Democrats retake the gavel.”

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Huffman, Padilla Blast Trump’s Disastrous Plan to Auction off America’s Coasts to Big Oil

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

Draft proposal seeks six California lease sales despite clear legal limits and decades of bipartisan coastal protections

November 20, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Today, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) condemned the Trump administration’s draft 2027-2032 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which proposes opening vast swaths of previously protected federal waters, including along the California coast, all of Alaska’s offshore waters, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

“With this draft plan, Donald Trump and his Administration are trying to destroy one of the most valuable, most protected coastlines in the world and hand it over to the fossil fuel industry.

“They didn’t listen to Californians. They didn’t listen to communities up and down the West Coast. Instead, Trump wants to take a wrecking ball to our communities while trampling over anyone who stands between him and what billionaires demand.

“These lease areas are not only irreplaceable, but allowing drilling in these areas would undermine military readiness and pose risks to national security. But Trump doesn’t care. Californians remember every spill, every dead dolphin and sea otter, every fishing season wrecked by contamination. We built stronger, cleaner, more resilient coastal communities — and a burgeoning $1.7 trillion coastal economy — in spite of all that. And we’re not going to stand by and watch it get destroyed by Trump’s oil and gas pet projects.

“This plan targets California and the whole West Coast because they think we will roll over. They are wrong. We’re going to fight this with everything we have.”

Background

The Trump administration’s draft 2027 to 2032 Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing plan released on November 20 marks the most aggressive push in decades to open all of the California coast, nearly all of Alaska’s offshore waters, and vast stretches of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling, including areas long protected by moratoria and despite opposition from even Republican senators in Florida.

The proposal includes six lease sales off California between 2027 and 2030, the first attempt to drill in these waters in more than forty years. This move directly targets areas President Biden withdrew from future leasing in January 2025, when he protected 625 million acres in the Pacific, Atlantic, Eastern Gulf, and Arctic. Trump tried to wipe out those protections on his first day back in office, repeating the same maneuver a federal court rejected in 2017 when he attempted to undo President Obama’s Arctic and Atlantic withdrawals.

The draft plan also lands in the shadow of the Republican budget reconciliation law passed in July 2025, which mandated new lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, lowered offshore royalty rates, and expanded fossil fuel industry access without environmental review.