A GOP energy bill passed in Congress has received support from the Libre Initiative, which touts the importance of voting on the bill because it believes it can benefit both consumers and Latino workers in the energy sector.

Libre Initiative President Daniel Garza wrote an open letter to members on Thursday, saying inflation fueled by high energy costs is the “biggest challenge facing Hispanic families and business”, TheHill reported.

The Libre Initiative, is a group belonging to the political network of Charles Koch, a mega-businessman who advocates for conservative causes in the Latino community in the United States.

The U.S. House of Representatives H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, passed Thursday (30), ahead of the two-week legislative recess.

According to a statement by House Speaker KevinMcCarthy (R-CA), “In House Republicans’ Commitment to America, we promised the American people that we would work to reduce energy costs and make it easier and more affordable to build in the U.S. I’m proud to say that H.R. 1, the Lower Costs and Energy Act, will deliver on that promise by increasing energy production and instituting comprehensive permitting reform to speed the construction of critical infrastructure in our country. As our nation continues to recover from the highest inflation in generations, this bill will help stimulate our economy and bolster our national security while making us more competitive on the world stage against Russia and China. I am grateful for the leadership of Leader Scalise, Chairman Westerman, Chairwoman Rodgers, and Chairman Graves who all played a crucial role in getting H.R. 1 across the finish line. The need for permitting reform is something that Republicans and Democrats alike can get behind, and I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to do right by the American people and swiftly take up this bill”.

In a statement before the bill was passed in the House, Daniel Garza said that “For millions of Latinos all across the country, the number one issue remains jobs and the economy. If enacted, the Lower Energy Costs Act will help reduce energy costs while boosting domestic energy production in this country,” Garza said in a statement, according to The Hill.

Polls have consistently shown that Latino voters see the economy as a top issue, along with education and health care. For the Libre Initiative, the HR 1 Act also covers the large Latino contingent of energy industry workers.

According to the group, 17 percent of energy workers are Latino, including 20 percent of mining, oil, and gas workers. According to figures published by the American Petroleum Institute, 30 percent of energy workers in Texas are Latino, the report said.

The energy bill is a priority for House Republicans, but it has already attracted at least one Democratic member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas).

President Biden has vowed to veto the bill if it reaches his desk in its current form.

According to The Hill, “conservative groups see in the bill a chance to showcase the potential benefits of relaxing regulations in the energy sector, and to tie current regulations to persistent inflation. In addition to pushing legislators to vote for the bill, the Libre Initiative is running a campaign featuring digital ads, a blog post and a social media video in favor of the bill”.