Press Releases
The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Washington,
July 24, 2024
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor today:
Establishing a Task Force on the Trump Assassination Attempt
On July 13, 2024, the nation watched in horror as a gunman attempted to assassinate the Republican Party’s nominee for president, President Donald Trump. Thanks to the grace of God, President Trump narrowly escaped death, but sustained a bullet wound on the side of his head as a result of the attack. Unfortunately, a life was taken during the attack: Corey Comperatore was a loving father and husband, and a volunteer firefighter, who died protecting his family as the shooter fired on the rally. Two others were seriously injured. There is no circumstance in which political violence is acceptable. With his attempted assassination of President Trump, the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, sought to take the choice of President of the United States of America out of the hands of the American people, threatening the future of our democracy. We must never allow something like this to happen again. It is vital that we understand exactly how our country was almost thrown into chaos, and what steps must be taken to address the systematic security failures that endangered one of the most protected people in America. The would-be assassin should never have been able to get within shooting distance of President Trump with a perfect line of fire during his rally. House Republicans are bringing forward legislation to assemble a task force to investigate this attempted assassination, evaluate the security failures that led to it, and ensure no such failures occur in the future. Rep. Mike Kelly’s legislation, H. Res. 1367, establishes the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, and gives the task force investigative authority, including subpoena authority, to thoroughly analyze the circumstances surrounding the assassination attempt and ensure the failures that occurred never happen again. When someone attempts to assassinate a party leader and presidential candidate on live TV, the American people expect and demand answers. House Republicans are working to deliver the facts the American people deserve.  Developing Our Land’s Resources and Unleashing American Energy The United States is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and beautiful lands that provide Americans with energy security, jobs, development opportunities, and recreational enjoyment. However, the Biden Administration is trying to punish Americans for utilizing our country’s resources through out-of-control agency regulations and promoting the far-Left climate agenda. Under the Biden Administration, the EPA has attempted to enact ridiculous regulations on vehicles that increase costs for Americans and take away consumer choice, agencies have proposed NEPA rules that expand their power to incorporate climate change in permitting, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has abused the Endangered Species Act to protect species that are not longer endangered, like the gray wolf, and threaten the livelihoods of rural Americans. House Republicans are bringing legislation forward that will strengthen our energy security, safeguard American jobs, protect recreational use of public lands, and ensure development of our resources to the benefit of all Americans. Our legislation requires the Administration to resume oil and gas leasing sales and programs, cuts funds to cancel oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, bans the EPA from imposing a methane fee on oil and gas producers, and increases our ability to produce vital critical minerals by ending harmful restrictions enacted by the Bureau of Land Management and reinstating mineral leases. It also stops restrictions on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal lands, and blocks U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rulings that weaponize the Endangered Species Act against land users and energy producers. Additionally, our bill fully funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, prioritizes funding for Tribes and Wildland Fire Management, and permanently addresses wildland firefighter pay. H.R. 8998, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025, introduced by Rep. Mike Simpson, reins in wasteful spending and cuts burdensome regulations to reduce energy costs, safeguard American jobs, develop our natural resources, and ensure Americans’ access to public lands for recreation. We won’t stop fighting to unleash American energy, lower energy costs, and protect recreational use of America’s lands.  |