[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H365-H371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BIDEN'S UNILATERAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS ARE HARMFUL
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 4, 2021, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to include any extraneous material on the topic of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, in the first days of his administration,
President Biden has taken a record-breaking number of executive actions
and he has signed more executive orders than any President in recent
history.
I am very proud this evening to be joined by some of my colleagues
from the Congressional Western Caucus. As a group, we represent
constituents across the country who have been negatively impacted by
these actions of President Biden.
On his very first day in office, the President signed an executive
order to
[[Page H366]]
revoke the Presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. This
innovative, first-of-its-kind energy project has been in the works for
years with local communities, numerous States, and even our neighbor to
the north, Canada, investing heavily in its creation.
Also, on day one, President Biden directed his Acting Secretary of
the Interior to issue a 60-day moratorium on new oil and gas leases on
Federal lands. And then if that weren't enough, to complete the one-two
punch, a week later, he extended that moratorium indefinitely.
Madam Speaker, I am confident my colleagues will echo this sentiment:
It is unconscionable that President Biden would, during a global
pandemic, eliminate thousands of jobs and prevent the creation of
thousands more with one flick of his pen.
As you will hear from my colleagues, this action was thoughtless and
devastating to the hundreds of communities and the millions of
Americans who rely on the oil and gas industry, from labor unions,
local small businesses, to rural school districts, conservationists,
people all over the country.
His long-term goals may very well be well-intentioned, but, Madam
Speaker, right now, in communities across the country, jobs, revenue,
and investment are lost. They have just disappeared.
Madam Speaker, what does President Biden propose to do in the
meantime? This truly can be described as an attack on American energy
and American workers.
Over the last 4 years during the Trump administration, the United
States has made huge strides toward energy independence, becoming the
largest net exporter of energy in the world.
President Biden's actions will unilaterally undo this progress. It
will threaten our energy security and leave thousands of hardworking
American men and women without a job. President Biden has acted without
any input or meaningful debate from the Members of this Congress who
represent the people who are most affected by his orders.
Madam Speaker, tonight, we are here to make our voices and their
voices heard. I am proud to be joined, as I said, with many of the
outstanding members of the Congressional Western Caucus, and we have a
lot of them who have a lot of great things to say.
My first guest is a new member of our executive committee. He comes
from the State of Minnesota, where at least 50,000 jobs are supported
by mining in his home State, a tremendous amount of economic activity.
So I am very pleased to yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.
Stauber).
Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for this
opportunity.
I rise with my colleagues today out of serious concern for the well-
being of America's workers and American energy independence.
Under the Trump administration, America came first. The priority was
lowering energy costs for Americans and ending our supply chain
dependency, along with supporting high-wage jobs in the energy
industry.
Sadly, within just 2 weeks, Joe Biden has started destroying much of
that progress and setting our Nation back. President Biden's executive
orders have ended high-wage pipeline jobs on Keystone XL. He has banned
oil and gas development on Federal lands and forced America to rejoin
the unfair Paris climate agreement which gives a free pass to polluters
like India and Communist China.
His actions have serious consequences for my rural district and
districts like mine.
In my district, gas prices have started to dramatically increase as
Joe Biden keeps punishing American families with executive order after
executive order.
In fact, since November 30, the gas prices have already risen $0.32
and counting. A 60-mile round trip for work is not uncommon in northern
Minnesota. Already, that is a $244 a year increase per driver. Imagine
what it will be like for middle class families if these increases
continue.
Furthermore, Joe Biden's executive order canceling critical projects
like the Keystone XL pipeline sends a chilling message to union members
nationwide, including in my district where many are currently working
to replace the Line 3 pipeline.
Many workers are asking themselves: Will Joe Biden cancel their job
next? And what about those individuals who were employed with a good-
paying, high-quality job working on pipelines or in oil fields on our
Federal lands?
Because of Joe Biden's anti-jobs agenda, these individuals are not
only being denied a living wage, but the dignity of work. Meanwhile,
they will still need to put gas in their vehicles.
Prices will keep rising and the gas they use won't be produced by
hardworking Americans any longer. Instead, they will be purchasing gas
for their trucks from hostile countries like Russia, Venezuela, and
China, all of which signed the Paris climate agreement, but not one of
these countries has met their obligation.
Madam Speaker, Joe Biden's unilateral executive orders are harmful.
It may not be understood here in the Beltway, but my constituents know
that these executive orders mean job loss and higher energy costs for
the American family.
It has been less than a month and Joe Biden has already made his
agenda very, very clear. American jobs, American families, and American
energy independence are no longer first.
At this time of economic uncertainty, I urge the Biden administration
to change their reckless course. I urge the Biden administration to
abandon the failed Obama-era policies and support an all-of-the-above
energy strategy that will create jobs, keep energy costs low, and
maintain our energy independence which will enhance our national
security.
And by working together to support energy jobs and reduced dependence
on foreign nations, we have the chance to create a tomorrow with
unimaginable potential.
{time} 2015
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Thank you, Congressman Stauber, in helping to put a
human face onto the issue that we are speaking about. The real cost to
American citizens, the loss of jobs cannot be understated and the
impact to our communities and to families across this country. So thank
you very much.
Madam Speaker, a lot of States will be impacted. The whole country
will be. I am going to turn to someone from the great State of Texas,
but you probably know this already: This ban from President Biden will
eliminate 2 million jobs in the oil and gas industry in Texas alone--in
one State.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), from
the Houston area, representing, I think, probably the epicenter of
petroleum refining in this country, another fine Member of our Western
Caucus.
Mr. BABIN. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from Washington
State--and a classmate--for having this. It is good to be here.
Madam Speaker, I stand here today as a proud representative of
Houston, Texas, the epicenter of American energy and the catalyst for
this country's pursuit of energy independence. But, unfortunately, our
economic bedrock of oil and gas is under attack, severe attack, by an
administration that is eliminating millions of jobs and leaving our
national security wide open to threats from adversaries.
An oil and gas moratorium on Federal lands is projected to cost
America 1 million jobs. Revoking the Keystone XL pipeline permit will
cost us 11,000 jobs in 2021 alone and account for the loss of $1.6
billion in gross wages.
Rejoining the Paris climate accord, which was originally poorly
negotiated by President Obama, is projected to cost us 400,000 jobs and
is simply a bad deal for the American people and very good deal for the
world's biggest polluter, Communist China. What happened to this new
administration's promise to stand up for all Americans?
From gas and electric bills, to new highways and bridges, to taxes,
to putting food on the table, what happens to the oil and gas industry
affects all Americans, and killing these jobs will have a ripple effect
that will be felt in every home in the Nation.
Additionally, if we destroy oil and natural gas production here by
canceling these pipelines and forcing adherence to widely burdensome
red tape, we will then have to import oil and natural gas from overseas
and burn
[[Page H367]]
much fuel to get it here. And that means that we will be paying more
for energy that was processed not using the same, stringent clean
environmental regulations that we have here in America.
No, if we want to stand here and talk about cleaner energy solutions,
we have to acknowledge the fact that pipelines are by far the safest
and most environmentally friendly way to transport energy. In fact,
pipelines have a 99.9 percent safety record. When we kill energy jobs
here in the United States, we are in turn killing clean energy jobs
globally.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Babin. I thank him
for explaining to us and helping us understand the pipeline industry
and what that does for our country, how it improves safety, and,
certainly, our care for the environment as well.
Madam Speaker, I next turn to one to our newest Members--new to our
caucus, but also to the House of Representatives--a young lady from the
State of New Mexico. Yvette Herrell is doing just a great job in the
short time that she has been here with us.
And let me just tell you a little bit about New Mexico. If you want
an example of a State that is reliant on this industry, oil and gas,
you have to look no farther than New Mexico.
You can correct me if I am wrong, but at least 134,000 jobs are
supported by that industry. And I know it is a huge part of your
State's economy.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms.
Herrell).
Congresswoman Herrell, thank you very much for being with us.
Ms. HERRELL. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Newhouse for yielding
and for his leadership in holding this Special Order.
Madam Speaker, with the stroke of a pen, President Biden threatened
the economy and public education systems of New Mexico, seven other
Western States, four Gulf States, and Alaska.
To put it simply, the executive actions he took on behalf of radical
environmentalists to stop new oil and gas leases on Federal lands is
nothing short of disastrous.
In New Mexico, over half the oil production and two-thirds of the
natural gas production occurs on Federal lands. That production employs
nearly 120,000 people Statewide, and estimates show a ban on new oil
and gas leases could cost the State over 60,000 jobs by the end of
2022.
Royalty payments and taxes from the oil and gas industry contribute
more than over one-third of our State's general fund. The loss in
revenue from this leasing ban will have the greatest impact on the
children of New Mexico, as over $1 billion from the oil and gas
industry goes to New Mexico public schools every year.
Madam Speaker, before the ban was announced, I sent a letter to New
Mexico Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, asking how she would make up
the lost revenue. I have yet to receive a reply.
After the announcement, I introduced the POWER Act, along with nearly
40 of my Republican colleagues. This bill would prevent the President
from halting new oil and gas leasing along with coal, hard-rock
mineral, and critical mineral leasing on Federal lands without consent
of Congress.
For too long, Congress has ceded authority over our public lands to
the executive branch. This will enable Congress to take back control
and stand up for the people we represent.
Just yesterday, I also introduced the Protecting New Mexico's Jobs
and Public Education System Act, which would exempt New Mexico from the
current ban on new oil and gas leasing.
My State would be the most negatively affected in the Nation by a
leasing ban. More than half of the onshore oil produced on Federal
lands in the U.S. is produced in New Mexico.
Madam Speaker, I must also point out that the oil and gas industry is
not just about filling up our cars and heating our homes, petroleum-
based products are an essential part of our everyday lives. Petroleum-
based products include mini medical devices, articles of clothing, and
even sporting equipment.
In response to concerns we raised regarding the loss in oil and gas
jobs, the Biden administration said people can just find work in the
renewable energy sector.
Madam Speaker, well that just is not good enough. In fact, statistics
show workers involved in oil and gas extraction make an average of $48
an hour. How do I tell my constituents to go earn much less than that
in other industries? At a time when our economy has been weakened by
the COVID-19 pandemic and many of our constituents are out of work, we
should be focused on protecting good-paying jobs, not eliminating them.
I look forward to working with my Western Caucus colleagues over the
coming weeks to promote this message and to give a voice to our
constituents whose lives will be harmed by the executive actions of the
Biden administration.
Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Newhouse again for hosting this
Special Order.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Herrell. I
appreciate her helping us understand the impact on the State of New
Mexico, not just jobs but schools as well--$1 billion cost to the
school districts of your State. I just can't imagine the long-term,
detrimental impacts that that will bring.
Speaking of that, I turn to another gentleman from the State of
Texas, someone I got to know very well on the Committee on Rules.
Michael Burgess represents his district in Texas, and similar to what
we just heard from New Mexico, I believe Texas school districts also,
through property taxes on oil and gas production, on pipelines, on gas
utilities receive at least $1 billion a year as well.
Dr. Burgess, thank you so much for being here this evening and
helping us tell the American people the real impact of these decisions.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).
Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman, and congratulate
him for the chairmanship of the Western Caucus, and I appreciate being
included in this discussion this evening.
Madam Speaker, on the way over here, here is a bit of breaking news:
POLITICO, in their online newsletter, 6:30 tonight, the headline:
``Biden's plans for recovery imperiled by swelling ranks of long-term
jobless.''
First sentence reads:
Millions of Americans are staring at the reality of long-
term unemployment, a precarious and worsening situation that
threatens to drag on the economic recovery after the pandemic
ends.
You know what, I remember when Democrats used to be the champion of
the working class, the champion of the working man and woman.
Long-term unemployment is so damaging to people's families and
people's lives. Suspending the production on Federal lands--granted
Texas doesn't have the amount of Federal lands that some of the other
Western States do, but still, it affects us.
And Todd Staples, our former agriculture commissioner in the State of
Texas--now the head of the Texas Oil and Gas Association--writes in
January: ``Banning energy development on Federal lands and in offshore
waters not only threatens thousands of the best-paying jobs, but
needlessly erases much-needed revenue that helps pay for schools and
other essential services,'' so said Todd Staples, the president of
Texas Oil and Gas Association.
Going on: ``American oil and natural gas is safe, clean and abundant,
and misguided policies will only stifle our Nation's energy and
environmental progress.'' A million jobs across the country--120,000 of
those in the State of Texas alone.
And as we heard from our colleague, Ms. Herrell, it does affect tax
revenues for local activities in our schools, building our highways.
Todd Staples went on to say:
The oil and natural gas industry is producing energy in
cleaner and more efficient ways than 10 to 15 years ago, all
while producing more affordable and reliable energy to power
our daily lives. Increased use of natural gas is the number
one reason the United States power sector cut carbon dioxide
emissions 33 percent.
Now, look, everybody talks about going to electric cars. Where is the
electricity going to come from? Well, some of it is going to come from
natural gas, natural gas-fired power plants.
But, again, I do remember when the Democratic party used to be the
party of the working man and woman. I question why President Biden has
strayed so far from that. A little over 2 weeks ago, he said, on the
western steps of this Capitol building, that his number
[[Page H368]]
one priority was going to be American jobs. And then he immediately
causes immeasurable harm to millions of Americans.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for leading this hour and for
letting me participate.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I think you are starting to get the
message that it is clear: This is going to impact every citizen of this
country. These wrongheaded decisions are impacting our way of life, our
cost of living in so many different ways.
I don't know what the next speaker is going to talk about for sure,
but I will make a guess that Bruce Westerman, who is our new ranking
member of the Committee on Natural Resources, hailing from the State of
Arkansas, may talk about a tree. I am not sure about that, but
certainly, the natural resource impacts here are going to be real, and
I always say people may not understand that. But we passed a huge bill
last Congress--I am sure you remember the Land and Water Conservation
Fund--which was part of a bigger piece of legislation. Well, guess
where a lot of that money comes from to make that happen? It is from
oil and gas leases. And I think the great State of Arkansas is set to
get a lot of money in 2021 from that fund. And this is going to have an
impact there.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr.
Westerman), and thank him not only for his partnership and his activity
and work on the Western Caucus, but also on the Committee on Natural
Resources.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington
and commend him for the great work that he has done with the Western
Caucus and also here in Congress to be a voice for rural America and
for these areas, like my district, that depend on Natural Resources.
Madam Speaker, our country is at a crossroads on the environment. One
road leads to a vibrant, all-of-the-above energy approach, where we
combine our state-of-the-art technology with hardworking American
ingenuity and work ethic to incentivize smart environmental solutions.
The other road leads to a top-down regulatory approach in which those
in power ban, tax, and prohibit energy access resulting in economic
ruin and environmental degradation. It is clear which path President
Biden has chosen.
With a stroke of a pen, he eliminated thousands of American jobs, put
many more into jeopardy, defunded bipartisan conservation programs, and
eliminated some of the safest, most reliable forms of energy production
and transportation we have.
Let's not confuse action with progress. The data is very clear.
America leads the world in environmental standards. If our goal is
actually a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment--and I hope it
is--then we should continue modeling these standards for the rest of
the world to follow, while developing the technology of the future.
However, through his sweeping bans that killed the Keystone pipeline
and shut down new energy leases on Federal lands and water, President
Biden is merely shifting our current demand for energy overseas.
Let me make that very clear: Much as my Democrat colleagues might
pretend otherwise, America's demand for oil and natural gas will not go
away overnight. It cannot. Our infrastructure depends on it. So by
shutting down one of our main domestic supplies, our supply will shift
overseas, where we have no control over their environmental standards.
Put simply, President Biden's orders will hurt our environment in the
long run and devastate our economy in the meantime.
So what is our alternative?
How about allowing the free market to work, like it always has. We
have an innovative, pragmatic plan in place, unlike the Democrats'
haphazard, shooting-from-the-hip approach. It is why I have submitted
pro-growth solutions like the Trillion Trees Act.
Madam Speaker, we don't need to make hollow political points with no
substance and no hope for success. We need an energy plan that looks to
the future while taking care of the needs of today.
{time} 2030
Democrats want to make us choose between a healthy environment and a
strong economy. I am here to tell you we can have both. Actually, if we
want a cleaner, safer, healthier environment, then we must have a
strong economy. They go hand-in-hand.
I hope President Biden reverses this ban and puts our environment and
America's economy first.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Westerman. I
appreciate that very much, and I thank him for getting in that word
``tree.'' I appreciate that very much and for really helping us
understand the true impacts not only to our economy but to our
environment of these kinds of decisions.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany),
another W State, which we have to stick together, a strong member of
the Congressional Western Caucus. He comes from a State that also is
set to receive a tremendous amount of funding through the Land and
Water Conservation Fund, which, again, is financed through oil and gas
leases.
Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Tiffany for participating this
evening, and I appreciate him being here.
Mr. TIFFANY. Madam Speaker, while America and Congress' attention has
been diverted from the real issues, we have seen something over the
last couple of weeks that is going to compromise American security in
three ways.
One is national security; two, our economic security; and most
important for millions of Americans, their job security.
First came the White House decision to shred the Keystone pipeline
permit, a slap in the face to our friends in Canada and a pink slip for
countless Americans who rely on the strategic energy security project
for their livelihoods.
But you know what may have happened, most importantly? With a stroke
of a pen, a contract was eliminated. Can other countries trust America
anymore? Can Americans trust our President and our executive branch
when, at a stroke of a pen, they unilaterally say that contract is null
and void?
Then came the moratorium on Federal oil and gas leases, the prospect
of a long-term drilling ban on public lands, and even steps to halt
energy projects on private land.
The White House has also pushed the U.S. back into the U.N.'s Paris
climate treaty, subjecting American interests to the whim of
international bureaucrats. By the way, the English were smart enough to
get out of one of those agreements. They called it Brexit.
These things will kill family-wage American jobs that can't be
outsourced, raising prices at the pump and draining trillions of
dollars from the U.S. economy. All of this was done with a stroke of a
pen, without approval from Congress, and the ramifications will be
disastrous.
Madam Speaker, when it comes to national security, it is no
coincidence that we have seen peace break out in the Middle East over
the last few years. The diplomatic achievements of the Trump
administration in that troubled region are a result, in part, of
policies that have made American energy dominance a reality. We gained
the upper hand when we began producing more petroleum and became energy
independent in America. By turning back the clock on these historic
gains, the new administration is putting more American lives and
treasure at risk.
Closer to home, the economic costs will also be dire. The
cancellation of the Keystone pipeline and new energy restrictions have
put Wisconsin jobs on the chopping block, including more than 2,000
jobs at Michels and Precision Pipeline, two fine American companies and
Wisconsin companies. These companies will not be the only victims of
the Biden administration's great leap backward.
Thousands of downstream companies provide support services to
pipeline firms, businesses like parts suppliers, steelworkers, fracking
sand mine operators, and even restaurants, taverns, and other Main
Street businesses that count energy industry workers among their
customers. All of these businesses are in the crosshairs for another
economic hit, this one inflicted by their own government in Washington,
not a pandemic in Wuhan.
[[Page H369]]
Even more galling was the administration's glib response that these
hardworking Americans should simply suck it up and find better jobs. Is
that what unity looks like, Madam Speaker?
By taking aim at Americans who work in oil and gas, the Biden
administration will cripple a key stream of revenues for State and
local governments, funding that they rely on to pay for schools, road
repairs, first responders, and public health services. In Wisconsin
alone, the loss of revenue associated with the cancellation of Keystone
is estimated to hit $3 billion.
I would like to emphasize, while we are here with the chair of the
Western Caucus and hearing from Members from the west side of
Mississippi--Wisconsin is on the east side of the Mississippi--it is
Eastern States that are going to be hit with this equally hard,
including the States of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
While people in our communities are struggling to pay their bills and
find work, this administration is killing jobs and making their lives
more expensive.
While those on the other side are pushing a $350 billion State
bailout, the White House is choking off their revenues.
While our Nation faces rising threats from foreign adversaries, the
other side is taking active steps that will make America less safe,
less secure, and less self-reliant.
American workers are tired of being lectured about carbon emissions
by people who fly around the world on private jets, like President
Biden's climate czar, who admitted that even if U.S. emissions dropped
to zero, it would make no difference because 90 percent of
CO2 comes from other countries. In fact, a third of the
total global emissions come from China.
The bottom line is that access to affordable, abundant, and reliable
energy is essential to a dynamic economy supporting millions of good
Made in the USA jobs in American manufacturing.
Madam Speaker, when the White House attacks homegrown energy jobs for
purely political gain, China wins and America loses.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Tiffany. Well-
spoken. The economy, jobs, the environment, schools, national security,
the impacts of these decisions are far and wide across this country.
One of the great things about a citizen legislative body is that we
are made up of individuals from all walks of life, and I am very proud
that we have, on the Western Caucus, a new member to the caucus and
also a new member of our executive committee, but also someone whose
family is one of these people who we are talking about whose jobs will
be impacted by these decisions.
Madam Speaker, I am anxious to hear from our new Member from
Colorado, and I thank her very much for being a part of this
discussion, coming from a State that has tens of thousands of jobs that
rely on this industry.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs.
Boebert).
Mrs. BOEBERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington,
and I thank my chairman of the Western Caucus. It is an honor to serve
with him, especially in a time like this where our energy needs are so
dramatically threatened.
Madam Speaker, I rise today as the proud Representative of Colorado's
Third Congressional District, one of the most beautiful districts in
the entire Nation, where waters like the Colorado, the Arkansas, and
the Animas Rivers flow, and snow falling along the Rocky Mountains
provides outdoor recreation in towns like Durango, Telluride, Aspen,
and Steamboat Springs.
Colorado's Third District is also home to some of the Nation's most
abundant energy resources. We all win when American energy workers
develop our resources responsibly at home. Yet, this administration is
laser-focused on eliminating fossil fuels and the majority of jobs in
the energy industry.
It is not complicated. We are stronger and safer as a country when we
remain energy independent and when dictators across the world can no
longer fund their deadly terrorist activities on the backs of our
energy needs.
Madam Speaker, there is no reason the U.S. should be dependent on
volatile foreign sources from countries like Russia, Iraq, and Saudi
Arabia when we can safely produce these resources right here in
America, creating American jobs.
American ingenuity and innovation have resulted in the U.S. becoming
a global leader in carbon emissions reductions. Protecting our
environment while safely producing American energy are not mutually
exclusive goals.
Advancements associated with fracking and horizontal drilling are the
main reasons the U.S. has become a world leader in protecting the
Earth. You heard me. Fracking, demonized by the left without any merit,
has proven to be one of the best energy solutions for our environment.
I think it is becoming very clear that my colleagues on the left have
become fracking liars.
But these facts don't matter to the Biden administration. All they
seem to care about is appeasing extremist environmentalists in order to
get more campaign donations.
With the stroke of his pen, which sometimes takes him a while to
find, President Joe Biden has unilaterally imposed job-killing
executive orders and overreaching energy mandates that are going to
crush my district and the people who live within it.
From rejoining the Paris Agreement without asking the Senate to
ratify this treaty, to unilaterally eliminating the Keystone XL
pipeline, to banning all new Federal oil and gas leases, the Biden
administration has already taken actions that will eliminate thousands
of Colorado's jobs, just as the gentleman mentioned, and send my
people, the people I was sent to represent in my district, to the
unemployment line.
Madam Speaker, I have met with my constituents. They don't understand
why this administration is targeting their livelihoods and telling them
that they can simply find other jobs.
The energy workers in Colorado's Third District like their jobs. They
are good at them. They are the best at extracting these resources
responsibly. They don't want to be unemployed during a pandemic and
worry about how they are going to put food on the table or make ends
meet for their families.
Just last week, President Biden unveiled a Green New Deal-like
environmental plan. While the price tag is astronomical and its goals
unrealistic, the real tragedy associated with this $2 trillion charade
will be the number of men and women in my district who have to come
home and tell a spouse and their children that they were laid off and
are unable to provide for their family.
It is not Big Oil that is going to close their doors as a result of
Biden's executive orders. It is the little guys in small, rural
communities that will be hit hardest by this administration's actions
that seek to eliminate all coal, oil, and natural gas as its
electricity sources by 2035.
Joe Biden's team learned nothing from the American energy renaissance
we saw under the Trump administration: low gas prices, the lowest
average unemployment rate ever until COVID, and the greatest economy
the world has ever seen.
Madam Speaker, energy dominance and America first policies have been
replaced by climate change overkill and people like John Kerry flying
around the world in their private jets, telling hardworking Americans
to make better choices.
We are the land of the free and will always be. I will never allow my
four boys to live in a socialist nation. For all the people in the
Third District that I so proudly represent, I will proudly fight the
Green New Deal policies and Joe Biden's job-killing executive orders
with everything that I have; I will support freedom and prosperity at
every opportunity; and I will oppose any effort that seeks to take the
God-given freedom and rights away from the American people.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Boebert. I
appreciate her strong voice on behalf of not only the people she
represents, but people all over the country. I thank her for those very
valuable comments.
Madam Speaker, as you can already tell, we have a very strong class
of new Members this year. I would like to turn to another who comes
from the State of Utah, a State that I don't think is the highest with
Federal land ownership, but pretty darn close. Sixty-three percent, I
understand, of the land in
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Blake Moore's State is under Federal ownership.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore). I know
he has a great perspective on this issue, and I am very anxious to
welcome him and give him the floor so that he can share with us his
thoughts.
{time} 2045
Mr. MOORE of Utah. Madam Speaker, when the gentleman says
perspective, the part I would like to highlight is that it is about
balance. I am going to speak to that in a little bit, but before my
comments get drowned out in some of the prepared statements, making
sure there is balance benefits all, and it is something that I am
really passionate about and Utahns are passionate about.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to call on the Biden administration to
reverse its unilateral orders, including Executive Order 14008 pausing
new oil and gas leases on Federal land; Secretarial Order 3395
suspending mineral leasing and permits; and Executive Order 13990
revoking the Keystone XL pipeline permit.
Utah, as the gentleman mentioned, has the second highest percentage
of federally owned land at about 65 percent. Approximately 10,000
Utahns rely on the oil and gas industry for their employment and
livelihoods. These orders will result in Utah families losing their
jobs and will reduce crucial funding for conservation programs that
protect the natural wonders of my home State and our great country.
They will make our country more reliant on imported energy from other
countries with lower environmental standards than our own and weaken
our national security foothold. Restricting extraction has real costs
for our schools, our first responders, and public services. The
Keystone pipeline's MOU with North America's Building Trades Unions
will provide $10 million in renewable energy job training for union
workers and invests a total of $1.7 billion in renewable energy
infrastructure, proving that a productive balance of development and
conservation can be achieved.
Rushed executive actions do not allow for collaboration with the
people who are directly impacted by these decisions. Utahns will feel
the negative effects of these orders.
I encourage the administration to reverse these actions and work with
a bipartisan group of legislators on solutions that both protect and
develop our cherished lands. I ran on a sincere desire to work with the
administration to promote productivity over partisanship, and I stand
by that commitment today.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I appreciate that very much.
Continuing a theme of our strong freshman class, I turn to the
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann). This is kind of news to me. I didn't
realize that Kansas is such a major producer of energy. I think of
Kansas as wheat and corn, but energy is an important part of the
economy. I don't think a lot of Americans understand truly the impact
of these decisions in other States. I thank Congressman Mann for
participating tonight.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann).
Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
My district in Kansas has a lot of oil and gas, and a lot of ethanol
production as well, which is very important for the energy, the
backstop for the country.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss President Biden's recent
executive actions and their impacts on American energy.
Kansas-1, the Big First, is one of the most productive agricultural
areas of the country, and is also home to a flourishing energy
industry. In a rural district like the Big First, communities shrink
and grow with oil and gas prices. My district is the 11th largest
district in this country and has more than 83,000 miles of roads. We
depend on energy every day to fuel agricultural equipment and to
transport our products across the country and around the world.
Crude oil and natural gas are the foundation that fuels the Big
First. Whether it be diesel for a tractor, keeping our home and
families warm, or filling up a gas tank to drive our kids 30 miles each
way to school, my district needs energy. In addition, the Big First
also produced nearly 500 million gallons of ethanol last year.
I am gravely concerned with President Biden's mandates on oil and
gas. In my first few weeks in Congress, President Biden issued 25
executive orders in his first 10 days as President. That is more than
the last 7 Presidents combined during their first 10 days. For example,
President Biden delivered mixed messages claiming to support fossil
fuels and American jobs, and then issued an executive order dismantling
the Keystone XL pipeline.
The United States has achieved energy independence over the last
several years. That said, we cannot sit idle and watch executive orders
dictate the direction of our country with no input from Congress. The
administration will soon fundamentally impact our energy independence.
The executive branch was not created to legislate. Congress was.
Earlier this week, I introduced the More Accountability is Necessary
Now Acts, six pieces of legislation promoting accountability and
transparency to the administration's future executive orders. The MANN
Acts require the executive branch to notify the American public of its
intent to issue any new executive orders pertaining to six specific
topics that impact my district, including energy and the environment.
We must hold our elected leaders accountable for the pipeline worker
and the plant manager, for the farmer and rancher, for the millions of
lives depending on agriculture and energy every day, and for the
betterment of our democracy.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I appreciate Congressman Mann's
involvement in the Western Caucus.
The voices we have are strong, and we will continue to speak loudly
and clearly about the impact of some of these decisions.
Madam Speaker, you probably have guessed that the State of Texas has
been impacted tremendously by these decisions. I am very pleased to
have a gentleman from the State of Texas. Congressman Chip Roy is
someone whom I have come to know and respect for his clearheaded
thinking on so many different issues, and I know he can speak firsthand
about the oil and gas industry and the impact to our economy.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for leading this
effort. It is so critically important, obviously, to my great home
State of Texas, but also to so many States particularly out West and,
let's be honest, to all 50 States of the Union. This is so fundamental
to who we are as Americans.
Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are
attacking the very natural resources and the very great strength that
the United States of America has to set us apart from the rest of the
world to be independent. We were blessed by the good Lord with
unbelievable resources, resources that we can use for the betterment of
mankind--our own people, the people in this country--for jobs, for
affordable energy, and for prosperity, and to lead the world doing
that.
Unfortunately, we are seeing a massive attack literally in the first
few weeks of the new administration: 28 executive orders. A huge number
of which are obviously targeted at oil and natural gas, targeted at the
lifeblood of our energy in this country.
Madam Speaker, look at what we have been able to do with clean-
burning natural gas as a result of fracking. We have CO2
levels that are down at 1990 levels. We have vastly exceeded what my
leftist friends on the other side of the aisle want to follow, the
social welfare state of Europeans down the road of fancy gatherings in
Davos, and they fly in their expensive jets to go preach to the world
about global warming.
Spare me your preaching as you are riding around in these jets
spewing out CO2 when we, through innovation in the great
State of Texas and in our country, are creating clean-burning natural
gas. We are creating jobs powering the world.
And now the Democrat administration wants to come in and destroy
jobs, destroy our leadership in the world, turn us over to Russia and
Iran, and, oh, by the way, empower China to roll
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right over us while they spew out whatever they want to spew out
because darn if they are going to actually do anything like agree to
whatever is in the Paris Agreement.
It is an absolute joke. It is a laughingstock what the Democratic
Party is doing, saying they are standing up for the little guy in this
country when they are going to drive up the price of energy, increase
CO2, empower China, empower Iran, empower Russia, and harm
jobs. They are going to kill hundreds of thousands of jobs in this
country even as we are coming out of the negative effect of the
pandemic.
We have an expression in Texas: Come and take it. It goes back to our
history, our founding as a republic in Texas and Gonzalez, when Santa
Anna wanted his cannon back, and we said: Come and take it.
Well, my message to my Democratic colleagues is: We are going to
drill and we are going to frack. Texas is going to continue to lead the
world.
And to my Democratic colleagues: Come and take it.
We are going to stand up for this world being able to flourish. Not
just America, not just Texas, but the world. We are exporting liquified
natural gas around the world, making the world better.
If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are so concerned
about CO2, why would they undermine the very energy policies
that are giving us the ability to drive the CO2 level down?
It makes absolutely no sense.
So I would just say to the gentleman, I greatly appreciate his giving
us the opportunity here to highlight this. But this is just the
beginning to my friends on the other side of the aisle.
You roll in here with a new administration, roll in here thinking
that we are going to just fundamentally alter our entire economy
through executive order?
We are going to say. No. We are going to say, Come and take it. That
is what we are doing. That is what I am here to say.
Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Roy's strong voice and
leadership on the Republican Conference. I appreciate very much his
being part of this evening's discussion. Words couldn't be truer.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank you for your attention and listening
to the message that we have.
Let me ask you a question: Could you imagine if former President
Trump had signed an executive order during the middle of this pandemic
to unilaterally kill thousands of jobs?
What would you say would happen?
It would be a national outrage.
Well, President Biden's reckless executive actions are a national
outrage. As you have heard, Americans in rural communities across the
country--in fact, in urban areas, too--will suffer because of this ban.
The Western Caucus advocates for responsible land and resource
management. I can assure you that we will continue to be a strong voice
for rural America. We will do everything in our power to fight for
their livelihoods in the face of these devastating decisions by
President Biden. So we--I, tonight, call on President Biden to please
revoke and reverse these actions.
I appreciate your attention, Madam Speaker, and the opportunity to
express our views on this very important issue, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
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