Charleston Leader

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia and Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, attended a White House ceremony where President Trump signed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution. This resolution disapproves of the Democrats' natural gas tax collection rule. The CRA was introduced by U.S. Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota and co-sponsored by Chairman Capito. It overturns the November 2024 rule that implemented the collection of this tax, which opponents argue would increase energy prices, reduce domestic energy production, and empower adversaries abroad.

Senator Capito expressed her stance at the event: "I’m honored to join President Trump and my congressional colleagues in officially rejecting the Democrats’ attempt to collect a tax on natural gas production and stand for American energy dominance. Natural gas is a vital resource that strengthens our electricity reliability while reducing emissions, and is responsible for over 40% of electricity generation in our country. We should be expanding production of this resource instead of decreasing it, and I will continue to work with my colleagues through the reconciliation process to stop the underlying law establishing this tax that was a part of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act."

Capito has been vocal about her concerns regarding the Biden Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Emissions Charge regulation under the Methane Emissions Reduction Program included in the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. She voted for the CRA to overturn this regulation last month and reiterated her support for repealing it during remarks on the Senate floor.

In November 2024, she criticized the Biden administration’s final WEC regulation and pledged to repeal it. In December 2023, she led several EPW Republican colleagues in sending a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan expressing major concerns with the agency’s proposed "subpart W" rule on methane emissions reporting, urging reconsideration and revision.

Photos from the event show Senator Capito with President Donald Trump along with other Senators including John Kennedy from Louisiana, John Hoeven from North Dakota, Mike Lee from Utah, Cindy Hyde-Smith from Mississippi, as well as Representatives August Pfluger from Texas's 11th district and Mike Ezell from Mississippi's 4th district.