The House on Wednesday voted to overturn a Biden-era rule implementing a program that charges oil and gas companies for excess methane emissions.
The vote was 220-206-1.
Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Jared Golden (Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Adam Gray (Calif.), Kristen McDonald Rivet (Mich.) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) voted with nearly every Republican in favor of the measure.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) was the only Republican to vote with Democrats against it. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) voted present.
The Senate is expected to soon hold a similar vote and the resolution is likely to pass there as well and ultimately be signed by President Trump.
However, overturning the rule does not necessarily eliminate the program, which was written into law in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
Fully overturning it appears to require additional legislation, and Republicans are expected to try to repeal it as part of their broader legislative package.
Methane is a planet-warming pollutant that is about 28 times as powerful as carbon dioxide. Oil and gas production is one major source of methane emissions, because methane — the main component of natural gas — is sometimes released or burned during that process.
Under the 2022 law, companies that emit methane at levels equivalent to 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year must pay for their excess emissions.
The law also provides grants to help companies install technology to reduce their emissions.
The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that the program would prevent 1.2 million metric tons of methane from entering the atmosphere — climate gains equivalent to taking nearly 8 million gas-powered cars off the road for a year.
Republicans, meanwhile, have characterized it as a “tax” on gas production.
“Today, House Republicans rolled back the disastrous natural gas tax imposed by Democrats. This overreach has driven up energy prices, hurt domestic natural gas production, and increased reliance on foreign energy — without delivering any so-called environmental benefit,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a written statement.
A coalition of more than 70 environmental groups urged Congress to vote against the measure, arguing that methane leaks waste gas that could otherwise be used as fuel.
“The methane polluter fee is a critical tool to reduce the waste of natural gas, limit pollution in local communities, and drive America forward as a global leader on methane,” they wrote.
