Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-06-10

CHALLENGING CLIMATE SHAKEDOWNS

EconomyTaxesClimateForeign PolicyDefense

Context

On 2026-06-10, Representative Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY) delivered a floor speech titled "CHALLENGING CLIMATE SHAKEDOWNS" in the House.

Full Text

CHALLENGING CLIMATE SHAKEDOWNS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 98 (Wednesday, June 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 10, 2026)] [House] [Page H4061] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CHALLENGING CLIMATE SHAKEDOWNS (Ms. Hageman of Wyoming was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to expose and challenge the climate shakedowns at the root of increasing energy costs being imposed on every American. For decades, the left has waged a war against our energy industry, seeking to regulate them out of business. Having failed to crush those companies who produce affordable and reliable energy, they now seek to sue them into bankruptcy. So-called climate Superfund laws have cropped up in nearly a dozen leftist States, punishing those who harvest the very product that has fueled America's unrivaled prosperity. Activists are exploiting the courts to shake down producers, enrich the lawyers, and engineer behavior. These penalties for lawful activity weaken the power grid, destroy jobs, and amplify the pain every American feels when heating their homes and driving their cars. Make no mistake: War with Iran is not the cause of our energy struggle. These wrongheaded lawsuits are. The road to the Stone Age is paved by the elimination of fossil fuels. I ask my colleagues to pass the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act to protect our producers immediately. Congratulating Gaylon, Mark, and Verdean Heiner Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate brothers Gaylon, Mark, and Verdean Heiner on their remarkable receipt of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. This award is reserved for aviators of the highest caliber and is a testament to the Heiner brothers as representing an extraordinary family carrying the legacy of the Ohio brothers who transformed mankind's reality in 1903. To qualify, pilots must be U.S. citizens certified under the U.S. Civil Aviation Authority or the FAA with a perfect record where certification has never been revoked. Nominees must have completed at least 50 years of flying civilian or military aircraft, mastering the art of powered aviation barely more than a century old. Few pilots have ever met the criteria for this prestigious recognition, and even fewer families have produced three such recipients. I thank them for their dedication to aviation and congratulate them on this mile-high accomplishment. Recognizing Simplot Rock Springs Plant Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the hardworking men and women who have worked around the clock to keep the Simplot Rock Springs plant operating for 40 years. This milestone celebrates the millions of people fed thanks to Simplot's leadership in agricultural innovation to feed the Nation thanks to the fertilizer produced in southwest Wyoming. Pioneering new ways to provide nourishment to our neighbors has always been a part of Wyoming's proud history. The determination to feed the planet is at the heart of our rich cowboy heritage. We thank the men and women at the Simplot Rock Springs plant who worked tirelessly to continue that legacy into the 21st century. We will need them now more than ever as America continues to grow, and demand for quality food products increases. I congratulate them. Congratulating Luxury Diner Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Cheyenne's Luxury Diner, celebrating 100 years serving Wyoming. The story of this treasured institution extends far beyond the diner's first meal. This storied business first began as a trolley car rolling through the streets of Cheyenne in the first years of Wyoming statehood in 1894. The car was retired by 1912 but found a new purpose in 1926 as a neighborhood diner serving railroad workers. It became the Luxury Diner in 1964, and it has been a Cheyenne landmark ever since. Every meal is made from scratch. Recipes like the green chili and sausage gravy are decades old and still on the menu. Today, owners Del and Angie Jimenez carry the tradition forward, and the Luxury Diner has earned national recognition, including a feature on the Food Network. In Wyoming, we value things built to last. The Luxury Diner started as a trolley car, became a diner, and 100 years later, it still feeds our community. I congratulate the Luxury Diner on this milestone. ____________________

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CHALLENGING CLIMATE SHAKEDOWNS Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 98 (Wednesday, June 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 10, 2026)] [House] [Page H4061] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CHALLENGING CLIMATE SHAKEDOWNS (Ms. Hageman of Wyoming was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to expose and challenge the climate shakedowns at the root of increasing energy costs being imposed on every American. For decades, the left has waged a war against our energy industry, seeking to regulate them out of business. Having failed to crush those companies who produce affordable and reliable energy, they now seek to sue them into bankruptcy. So-called climate Superfund laws have cropped up in nearly a dozen leftist States, punishing those who harvest the very product that has fueled America's unrivaled prosperity. Activists are exploiting the courts to shake down producers, enrich the lawyers, and engineer behavior. These penalties for lawful activity weaken the power grid, destroy jobs, and amplify the pain every American feels when heating their homes and driving their cars. Make no mistake: War with Iran is not the cause of our energy struggle. These wrongheaded lawsuits are. The road to the Stone Age is paved by the elimination of fossil fuels. I ask my colleagues to pass the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act to protect our producers immediately. Congratulating Gaylon, Mark, and Verdean Heiner Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate brothers Gaylon, Mark, and Verdean Heiner on their remarkable receipt of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. This award is reserved for aviators of the highest caliber and is a testament to the Heiner brothers as representing an extraordinary family carrying the legacy of the Ohio brothers who transformed mankind's reality in 1903. To qualify, pilots must be U.S. citizens certified under the U.S. Civil Aviation Authority or the FAA with a perfect record where certification has never been revoked. Nominees must have completed at least 50 years of flying civilian or military aircraft, mastering the art of powered aviation barely more than a century old. Few pilots have ever met the criteria for this prestigious recognition, and even fewer families have produced three such recipients. I thank them for their dedication to aviation and congratulate them on this mile-high accomplishment. Recognizing Simplot Rock Springs Plant Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the hardworking men and women who have worked around the clock to keep the Simplot Rock Springs plant operating for 40 years. This milestone celebrates the millions of people fed thanks to Simplot's leadership in agricultural innovation to feed the Nation thanks to the fertilizer produced in southwest Wyoming. Pioneering new ways to provide nourishment to our neighbors has always been a part of Wyoming's proud history. The determination to feed the planet is at the heart of our rich cowboy heritage. We thank the men and women at the Simplot Rock Springs plant who worked tirelessly to continue that legacy into the 21st century. We will need them now more than ever as America continues to grow, and demand for quality food products increases. I congratulate them. Congratulating Luxury Diner Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Cheyenne's Luxury Diner, celebrating 100 years serving Wyoming. The story of this treasured institution extends far beyond the diner's first meal. This storied business first began as a trolley car rolling through the streets of Cheyenne in the first years of Wyoming statehood in 1894. The car was retired by 1912 but found a new purpose in 1926 as a neighborhood diner serving railroad workers. It became the Luxury Diner in 1964, and it has been a Cheyenne landmark ever since. Every meal is made from scratch. Recipes like the green chili and sausage gravy are decades old and still on the menu. Today, owners Del and Angie Jimenez carry the tradition forward, and the Luxury Diner has earned national recognition, including a feature on the Food Network. In Wyoming, we value things built to last. The Luxury Diner started as a trolley car, became a diner, and 100 years later, it still feeds our community. I congratulate the Luxury Diner on this milestone. ____________________