I recently penned an op-ed for the Beaumont Enterprise highlighting an issue important to Southeast Texas. I wanted to share it with y’all here.

For decades, the American oil and gas industry has been the backbone of our nation’s economy and the bedrock of our national security. From the rigs offshore the Gulf Coast to the pipelines throughout our nation, hardworking men and women have powered this country with grit, determination, and innovation.

But under the Biden administration, that proud legacy came under attack. Washington’s left-wing climate crusade, disguised as “green investments,” has punished traditional energy, driven costs up for hardworking families, and tied the hands of American producers with endless red tape.

That is why the One Big Beautiful Bill is imperative for our energy industry and for the folks I represent on the Gulf Coast of Texas. This legislation unleashes American energy, cuts bureaucratic nonsense, and gets Washington out of the way.

I’m proud to serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where we’ve spent months crafting this bill. We examined every wasteful program, every unnecessary delay, and every job-killing regulation, and we crafted the energy section of the One Big Beautiful Bill accordingly.

Let’s be clear: this bill rescinds billions of dollars from Biden’s so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which was nothing more than a Trojan horse for Green New Deal-style socialism. That includes clawing back unused dollars from federal slush funds that favored politically connected electric vehicle companies and speculative loan programs, such as the ones that led to the Solyndra debacle.

This bill ends the Department of Energy’s misguided giveaways to programs that produce more press releases than power. It guts funding for the “Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing” program and the “Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Financing” boondoggle because the American people shouldn’t be forced to bankroll risky, green pet projects that don’t deliver results.

Instead, we focus on what works: infrastructure, reliability, and market-driven innovation.

If you’re a company trying to build a cross-border energy project—like a pipeline to Mexico or Canada, this bill streamlines that process. Submit a plan, pay the fee, and get an answer from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Period. No more years of regulatory limbo. No more death by delay.

We also modernized the natural gas export process. Right now, liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to non-free trade countries require jumping through absurd hoops. Our bill makes it simple: pay the application fee, and it’s considered in the public interest. That’s a game-changer for Texas producers and our allies overseas.

We even created an expedited permitting program with strict timelines and automatic approvals if bureaucrats don’t act. No more endless permitting purgatory. This is certainty for investors, jobs for workers, and energy for the world.

And let’s talk about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). As Texans, we took it personally when Joe Biden drained our national stockpile to prop up poll numbers. Our district houses nearly 60% of the SPR. This bill invests $2 billion to restore the reserve, so we’re ready for real emergencies, not political games.

We also repealed heavy-handed rules like the Environmental Protection Agency’s Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s outrageous Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, which were designed not to help the environment but to force the combustion engine off the road and limit Americans’ freedom to choose.

Here’s the bottom line: this bill puts power back where it belongs, with the American people, our energy producers, and our job creators.

It says no to bureaucracy and yes to common sense. It ends Washington’s war on oil and gas and gives our energy sector the tools to succeed. And it sends a clear message to the world: America is open for energy business once again.

Every barrel we produce here at home is one less we have to beg for from Venezuela or the Middle East. Every LNG cargo ship strengthens our allies and weakens our adversaries. Every job we create in the oil patch supports families, fuels industries and makes this nation stronger.

This isn’t just energy policy; it’s national security. It’s economic freedom. It’s the American way.

That’s why I’m proud to fight for the One Big Beautiful Bill. And that’s why I won’t stop until it lands on President Trump’s desk.