Originally Posted in the Ripon Advance on March 19, 2025.

A Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval led by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) and U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) to block implementation of the Biden administration’s natural gas tax became law with the president’s signature on Monday.

“The Biden administration handcuffed our energy industry with unnecessary regulations and burdensome taxes, including a new tax on natural gas. Our CRA blocks this natural gas tax, and is an important step as we work to roll back the Biden administration’s harmful Green New Deal policies,” Sen. Hoeven said. “We appreciate President Trump signing our CRA into law as part of our broader effort to take the handcuffs off our producers to unleash more American energy, which will help reduce inflation and make our nation truly energy dominant.”

Specifically, the CRA — House Joint Resolution 35 and Senate Joint Resolution 12 — nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule titled “Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems: Procedures for Facilitating Compliance, Including Netting and Exemptions,” which was published on Nov. 18, 2024. 

The rule, which was aimed at implementing the natural gas tax passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, outlined compliance requirements under the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, under which the EPA collects an annual charge on emissions of methane and other greenhouse gases from the oil and gas sector if the emissions exceed specified waste emissions thresholds. 

Last month, Sen. Hoeven secured U.S. Senate approval of the resolution by a 52-47 vote, and Rep. Pfluger led and secured approval of the companion legislation in the U.S. House.

“I was honored to witness President Trump sign my monumental legislation into law to deliver on the mandate to remove burdensome regulations in the energy industry and unleash American energy,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This legislation repeals the tax President Biden imposed on every single consumer in this country and protects the hardworking men and women in the Permian Basin who have delivered affordable, reliable energy every day despite being assaulted by the Biden administration for four years.”