[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

[[Page H370]]

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

[[Page H371]]

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.

                          ____________________