Category: The Hill
Are you getting an ‘extra’ paycheck in January? How to tell
Some may be starting off the new year with a little extra money in their pockets.
Sunday shows preview: Russia-Ukraine peace talks ramp up; Epstein files backlash persists
International leaders are participating in high-stakes peace talks geared towards ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently presented a 20-point peace plan to his counterparts with clauses that outline a demilitarization zone, security guarantees and an $800 billion fund to help rebuild the war-torn nation. His refusal to cede pieces of land to…
Rogan slams Trump over Rob Reiner comments: ‘Not funny’
Podcaster Joe Rogan slammed President Trump for his remarks about the death of Hollywood director Rob Reiner. “The Rob Reiner thing is not funny, right? And that’s like the same thing. It’s the same kind of thinking. And when you see it with no empathy, that’s when it’s hard to like [him],” Rogan said of…
Rove says Trump administration needs to talk more about accomplishments ahead of midterms
Republican strategist Karl Rove on Saturday urged the Trump administration to speak more about its accomplishments to shore up support ahead of midterm elections. “The president will end this year at the lowest approval rating in modern times for a president … in the first year after his inauguration. He has got to get those…
Mamdani claps back at Musk over criticism of FDNY chief pick
New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) on Saturday rejected Elon Musk’s argument that his appointment to head up the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) is inexperienced. “Experience does matter, which is why I appointed the person who spent more than 30 years at EMS. You know, the workforce that addresses at least 70% of…
America First energy policy is paying off at the pump
When it comes to gas prices, what a difference one administration can make. After peaking above $5 a gallon under President Biden, prices at the pump are now at their lowest levels in more than four years — and still falling. Today, the national average for regular gas sits at about $2.85, and a growing number of stations are dipping below $2. That’s a real Christmas gift for working families, one that makes a meaningful difference.
Falling gas prices bring immediate relief to households worried about affordability while also easing pressure across the broader economy. Compared with this time last year, Americans are saving a collective $400 million per week at the pump, according to GasBuddy.
Cheaper fuel deserves celebration, but there is more work to be done to lock in these gains and drive prices even lower.
Most people associate the One Big Beautiful Bill Act primarily with tax cuts. But it may prove to be one of the most consequential pro-energy laws passed in years. Lower gas prices do not happen by accident. They are the result of deliberate policy choices — specifically, President Trump’s reversal of the anti-energy agenda pursued by the Biden administration.
That agenda, driven by radical environmental activists, sought to force a rapid transition away from oil and gas regardless of cost. It relied on higher taxes, blocked infrastructure projects, restricted leasing, and constrained production. Taken together, those policies drove up prices and fueled inflation that hit working families hardest.
On day one, President Trump moved quickly to unwind many of those decisions, issuing nearly half a dozen energy-focused executive orders that restored certainty for producers. That early action was followed by his signature legislative achievement, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which combined broad-based tax relief with policies designed to restore American energy dominance.
The bill reduces production costs by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s misguided fee increase on oil and gas produced on federal lands. It cuts that fee by 25%, making domestic production more attractive and more affordable for drillers.
Just as important, the OBBBA restores predictability to federal leasing. The law mandates nearly 40 offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of America, Alaska, and other regions. It also establishes quarterly onshore lease sales and biannual offshore sales, giving the private sector long-term certainty. Under President Biden, leasing all but ground to a halt, with fewer leases issued than at any point since the 1960s — crippling the pipeline of future energy projects.
The bill also repeals or tightens a range of Green New Deal-style tax credits that heavily subsidized renewables at the expense of oil and gas. Those credits masked the true costs of renewable projects and distorted electricity markets, contributing to grid instability and higher energy prices.
RELATED: 5 truths the climate cult can’t bury any more
Justin Hamel/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The bottom line is simple: The OBBBA encourages more oil and gas production at lower cost. Over the next decade, that means a steadier supply of crude ready to be refined into affordable gasoline.
Still, Congress and the administration should not take their foot off the gas. Cheaper fuel deserves celebration, but there is more work to be done to lock in these gains and drive prices even lower.
At the top of the list is permitting reform. Energy projects routinely take longer to permit than to build. Environmental reviews intended to inform decisions have morphed into open-ended processes that stretch on for years. Even approved projects can be tied up indefinitely by duplicative reviews and serial lawsuits from activist groups. The result is uncertainty that discourages investment and delays infrastructure Americans depend on every day.
America First energy dominance is working, and families are saving real money because of it. The House has already passed several pro-energy permitting reforms, but meaningful engagement with the Senate will be required to deliver a comprehensive overhaul to the president’s desk. Without permitting reform, the full benefits of the OBBBA’s energy provisions will remain unrealized.
The lesson is clear: Energy dominance follows when government gets out of the way. If permitting reform advances next year, producers will gain the certainty and speed they need to deliver reliable, affordable energy to consumers. In 2026, Congress should finish the job.
Trump on DOJ discovery of 1M more Epstein documents: ‘When do they say NO MORE’
President Trump on Friday complained about the Justice Department’s ongoing focus on the case of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after the department said it had discovered more than 1 million additional documents to review. “Now 1,000,000 more pages on Epstein are found. DOJ is being forced to spend all of its time on…
Patel finalizes plan to close FBI’s Hoover building in DC
FBI Director Kash Patel on Friday said the FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover building in Washington, D.C., will be “shut down permanently” after previously discarding plans to move the bureau’s headquarters to Maryland. Instead, employees will report to the Ronald Reagan Building to occupy the former location of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which was…
Senators call on Trump administration to pause hike in national park fees
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is calling on the Trump administration to pause its plan to raise national park entrance fees, calling the move “discriminatory.”
