The U.S. House of Representatives voted 221-205 on Tuesday afternoon, February 25, 2025, to repeal a Biden administration regulation slapping a tax on methane emissions from natural gas operators.
The move, led by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee, marks a swift rollback of what critics call a burdensome “natural gas tax” and a win for President Donald Trump’s pro-energy push.
Pfluger’s resolution, the Natural Gas Repeal Act, leverages the Congressional Review Act (CRA)—a tool letting Congress nix rules from a prior administration’s final months with a simple majority.
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Passed just seven weeks into Trump’s second term, it targets an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation finalized late in Biden’s tenure, which Republicans slammed as a parting shot in his “disastrous energy policies.”
“In November, the American people overwhelmingly voted for lower energy prices, and today, House Republicans took another step towards fulfilling that mandate,” Pfluger told the Daily Caller News Foundation exclusively. “This tax raises costs on production, discourages investment, and increases energy prices across America.” He vowed to press for a full repeal of the underlying statute, aligning with Trump’s agenda to unshackle U.S. energy producers.
The vote split largely along party lines. Only seven Democrats crossed over to back the repeal, while Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), a moderate often at odds with GOP environmental stances, joined Democrats to keep the tax.
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The Biden EPA first floated the rule in January 2024, aiming to curb methane—a potent greenhouse gas—from natural gas operations. Critics, though, say it piled costs on an industry already innovating to cut emissions.
Over in the Senate, North Dakota’s Sen. John Hoeven has a matching bill queued for a procedural vote Thursday evening. With Trump expected to sign off, the repeal could soon be law, capping a fast legislative sprint.
“We call on the Senate to pass Sen. Hoeven’s companion version and send it to President Trump’s desk,” said Anne Bradbury, CEO of the American Exploration & Production Council, praising the House action. “American energy companies can continue to innovate and produce the energy America needs.”
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