Texas Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar to vote with GOP on power invoice

Join The Transient, the Texas Tribune’s every day publication that retains readers up-to-date with crucial information from Texas.

WASHINGTON — Republicans in Congress are pushing for an power invoice that may upend a lot of President Joe Biden’s local weather agenda, and two South Texas Democrats are serving to them.

U.S. Representatives Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen and Henry Cuellar of Laredo plan to vote in favor of Republican sweeping energy and the allow invoice, the 2 lawmakers confirmed to The Texas Tribune. The invoice might be voted on within the Home of Representatives as early as this week, earlier than Congress goes on Easter break.

The invoice, dubbed the Vitality Invoice, would ease restrictions on and broaden entry to fossil gasoline manufacturing and roll again a number of provisions included within the Democrats’ local weather and social spending bundle handed final yr. Democrats strongly oppose the invoice as a result of it primarily sabotage their years of negotiations which have resulted within the nation’s largest funding in preventing local weather change. Biden has introduced that he’ll veto the Republican invoice.

Lastly, in 2022, Gonzalez and Cuellar joined their get together in voting in assist of Democratic local weather laws referred to as the Inflation Discount Act. Nonetheless, they expressed concern that any extra burden on the oil and gasoline business would negatively impression their constituents. The 2 withheld public assist for the legislation till simply earlier than they voted, elevating group considerations about provisions whereas the invoice was being negotiated.

Each members symbolize counties closely populated by oil and gasoline employees, and Republicans used unrelentingly excessive gasoline prices to slam Democrats in final yr’s midterm elections.

“To reap the total advantages of the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, stay aggressive on the world stage, and make sure the American individuals have entry to safer roads and bridges and dependable and inexpensive power, we should enhance federal environmental evaluation and allowing processes,” Gonzalez mentioned in an announcement to the Tribune. Whereas this bundle is way from excellent, it’s a step ahead. I’m assured that we are able to work collectively bicamerally and bicamerally to make progress on this challenge and make a distinction for our constituents.”

Politico initially reported its intent to defect.

Texas Democrats have an extended historical past of defending the state’s oil and gasoline business, however finally all Democrats voted in favor of their get together’s invoice. It included a lot of priorities Biden touted from his marketing campaign, together with boosting clear power funding and serving to to cut back healthcare prices. Democrats had extraordinarily slim majorities in each chambers, and a vote towards the invoice would have been a colossal affront to get together leaders.

Different Texas Democrats balked on the Republican bundle, saying it rolled again important environmental protections on the expense of the well being of susceptible communities. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, entered the house to denounce the bundle as “performing polluters over individuals.”

“This soiled invoice is not going to cut back our power payments. But it surely’s going to skyrocket our hospital payments and our medical payments,” Doggett mentioned.

Cuellar and Gonzalez’s vote on the Republican bundle is an indication of assist for rolling again provisions they voted on simply months in the past. The brand new invoice features a reversal of a payment on methane emissions — an especially potent greenhouse gasoline — which was a key component of the Inflation Discount Act and would open up extra public land for oil and gasoline drilling. The Republican bundle additionally lowers environmental evaluation requirements for brand new infrastructure tasks and encourages home mineral extraction — a key element of renewable power.

The 2 Democrats have a considerably bigger assist vote for the Republican invoice. With the Senate nonetheless below Democratic management and the Republican majority within the Home of Representatives too small to beat a presidential veto, the invoice is nearly as good as useless when it arrives. Cuellar and Gonzalez’s votes shall be largely symbolic in nature .

However that symbolism, distancing herself from her get together’s extra progressive wing and standing by native business, might be key if Republicans proceed to view South Texas as a probably winnable territory. Each members of Congress have confronted aggressive challenges over the previous yr, and Gonzalez stays a Republican goal by means of 2024.

We are able to’t wait to see you September 21-23 on the 2023 Texas Tribune Pageant, our multi-day celebration of massive, daring concepts on politics, public coverage and the day’s information—all simply steps from the Texas Capitol. When tickets go on sale in Could, Tribune members will save massive. Donate immediately to grow to be a member or renew.

Supply