The majority of voters say they approve of an energy package by House Republicans that is designed to increase production and lower costs, according to a new poll first shared with The Washington Times.
The survey comes as the House GOP plans to debate and pass the wide-ranging package in the coming days while President Biden and Senate Democrats say it’s dead on arrival.
Seventy-one percent of those polled by the conservative advocacy nonprofit Senate Opportunity Fund said they somewhat or strongly support the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1). It centers on streamlining the lengthy environmental approval process for fossil fuel and renewable energy projects.
Another 15% responded they somewhat or strongly oppose the measure, while 14% said they were either unsure or had no opinion.
The White House issued an official veto threat on Monday, though the current proposal will not make it past the Democrat-run Senate.
“This administration is making unprecedented progress in protecting America’s energy security and reducing energy costs for Americans — in their homes and at the pump,” the White House Office of Management and Budget said. “H.R. 1 would do just the opposite, replacing pro-consumer policies with a thinly veiled license to pollute.”
House Republicans hope to use their package to jolt bipartisan discussions on overhauling the environmental review process for energy projects, which often take years and are subject to costly legal battles.
GOP lawmakers have made the pitch that fast-tracking the process is also vital for Democrats’ green energy agenda, particularly in the wake of Mr. Biden’s tax-and-climate law — the Inflation Reduction Act — that spent $370 billion on combating climate change.
However, House Republican leadership will first need to keep their razor-thin majority united and prevent the amendments process from throwing the bill off-kilter. Democrats oppose the measure because they say it would undercut the administration’s climate change efforts.
The White House says it’s open to negotiating amid a realization from some Democrats that energy permitting reform is vital for boosting clean energy. But the Biden administration counters that the current GOP proposal is nothing more than an excuse to increase emissions.
“The administration wants to work in a bipartisan manner with Congress to address lowering energy costs, permitting reform and addressing energy challenges,” the White House budget office said. “However, H.R. 1 would take us backward.”
Among the survey’s respondents, 56% of self-identified liberals said they approved of H.R. 1, 69% of moderates and 83% of conservatives.
The majority of those polled (54%) also said they support increasing domestic production of all forms if it meant lowering costs, while 30% said they back restricting new projects to protect the environment and transition away from fossil fuels.
Voters said the single most important factor for American energy is ending foreign reliance (28%), followed by lowering costs (26%), lowering carbon emissions (25%) and increasing jobs (12%).
The poll was conducted March 21-23 among 800 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The party affiliation breakdown among respondents was 36% Democrat, 26% independent and 38% Republican.
Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly labeled the Senate Opportunity Fund and the polling numbers related to ideology.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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