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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of November 18, 2024

Washington, November 17, 2024
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:
 
Supporting Geothermal Energy Production and Diversifying U.S. Energy

Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable energy source that comes from heat generated by the Earth and provides an efficient, dependable power source for long periods of time. Having a diverse energy portfolio is crucial to our nation’s energy security and independence, and a clean, reliable energy source like geothermal energy is a great way to expand our portfolio and meet our nation’s growing demand domestically. 

While the United States has the resources to produce considerable amounts of geothermal energy, most usable geothermal resources are located on federal lands – meaning lease sales are vital to spurring American geothermal energy production. 

Currently, the Interior Department only holds lease sales once every two years, preventing utilization of our resources, domestic geothermal production, and energy diversification, and leaving us dependent on foreign adversaries for our energy needs. 

We should be promoting the expansion and production of geothermal energy, not slowing it down with infrequent lease sales and onerous red-tape.

House Republicans are bringing legislation to bolster our energy security and diversity by removing burdensome bureaucracy, increasing lease sales, and unleashing American geothermal energy production.

H.R. 1449, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act, introduced by Rep. Russ Fulcher, requires the Interior Department to increase the frequency of geothermal lease sales from every two years to every year and hold a replacement sale if one is canceled or missed, and creates deadlines to inform geothermal drilling permit applicants of the decision on their application.

Unleashing American energy means increasing production of diverse energy sources across the board to reduce risks of disruptions, support our energy security, and protect our national security – we won’t stop working to restore American energy independence and lower energy costs for workers and families. 


Providing Tax Relief for American Hostages Abroad and Holding Terrorist-Supporting Nonprofits Accountable

Presently, there are around 46 American citizens being wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad, including in China, Russia, Iran, and by Hamas in Gaza. While they remain held captive by adversaries across the world, a horrifying flaw in U.S. tax code penalizes these American hostages: under current law, the IRS cannot extend relief past one year to wrongfully detained taxpayers, and there is no process to proactively suspend interest for these taxpayers as they suffer far from home. 

Americans being wrongfully detained abroad, such as the American citizens currently being held hostage by Hamas, shouldn’t have to worry about paying off penalties, late fees, and unpaid taxes when they finally return home – they should be able to focus on being reunited with their families, recovering, and reacclimating to life at home. 

Meanwhile, some of the terrorist organizations holding Americans captive may be getting financial and material support from tax-exempt U.S. organizations and nonprofits. A Ways and Means investigation following the post-October 7th antisemitic protests that raged across our nation found that tax-exempt organizations were used to support these shameful efforts, including on college campuses. 

Once again, current law does not do enough to prevent this: right now, the tax-exempt status of an organization can be suspended if it is designated by the State Department as a terrorist organization, but not if it has been identified as providing support to a designated terrorist or terrorist organization. 

We cannot allow American hostages abroad to be penalized by U.S. tax law while terrorist-supporting organizations and nonprofits retain their tax-exempt status. It is our job to bring these hostages home, not saddle them with unpaid tax bills, and hold accountable any organization that finances terror against our citizens.

Rep. Claudia Tenney’s legislation, H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, prevents the IRS from charging late fees and penalties on American citizens wrongfully detained abroad, and revokes the tax-exempt status of U.S. non-profit organizations who have been found to provide financial or material support to designated terrorist groups like Hamas.

This legislation is a no-brainer: American citizens should not be penalized for being held hostage by adversaries abroad, and U.S. organizations supporting terrorism should not be exempt from taxes. Will Democrats join us in voting for common sense and fairness, or will they vote against captive Americans and for supporters of terrorism?