[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 8, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2463-S2464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COAL
Mr. BARRASSO. But, Mr. President, I come to the floor today to talk
about a different topic, and that topic is coal--and, specifically,
Wyoming coal, which is world-class coal, clean coal, low-sulfur coal.
This is Wyoming coal. We need more of it--not less of it--to power
our Nation. It is available, affordable, and reliable. This has powered
our Nation for
[[Page S2464]]
over a century. It continues to be a major source of power for our
Nation, and we need it far into the future.
And today, to that case, President Trump is going to sign an
Executive order making clear his commitment to American energy
independence. The President is moving very quickly in terms of boosting
the coal industry. It is part of his bold plan that the administration
has to restore American energy dominance.
We have more coal in this country than any other country in the
world. It is one of our most affordable, reliable, and abundant sources
of energy on the planet. And in America, we can use that coal cleaner
than ever before.
Wyoming's Powder River Basin produces the cleanest burning coal in
the world. Nearly half of all coal produced in America comes from the
Powder River Basin in Wyoming and our neighboring State of Montana.
Wyoming's energy warriors will lead the way.
For years, Democrats have held coal captive with reckless
regulations, making it harder for us to use American energy and making
us more dependent on foreign sources of energy. Joe Biden took coal
offline in America. Democrats' war on American energy strained our
grid, subsidized unreliable energy, and as a result, energy prices
spiked in their administration by 31 percent. That hit American
consumers, American manufacturers, American families; and it hurt our
economy.
Meanwhile, what we know is that China is opening up two new coal-
fired powerplants each and every week. It is hard to believe, but they
are doing it. They continue to build those powerplants in China.
We will talk about what they want to do with that energy and what we
need to do in America because President Trump is cutting redtape so we
can compete again--compete with China. And coal is making a comeback.
Wyoming wins, America wins, but not China.
What do Americans want? They want affordable, reliable, available
power. We need the energy, and clean coal will deliver it. American
energy is rocket fuel for a stronger economy--also, for a more secure
Nation.
What does more energy mean? It means lower prices for consumers and
manufacturers and producers. Electricity demand is projected to double
by the year 2050. We cannot meet this demand if we lock up our valuable
energy resources, but that is what the Democrats wanted us to do. That
was the purity plan that they had the last 4 years.
High energy prices under the previous administration drove up food
prices, fuel prices, and strained families. All of this hurt our Nation
and hurt our economy. President Trump wants to produce more American
energy, and that includes coal.
Investing in American energy lowers the cost of food. It puts more
money back into families' pockets. This is how we need to deal with the
energy crunch that we are facing.
Plus, this creates more American jobs, brings jobs back to our
country. Coal is an engine of our American economy, and the Democrats
continue to treat it as an enemy. Everything we do in this country
relies on energy. We need more energy, not less. Steel producers,
manufacturers, data centers need steady, reliable power if we are going
to compete and win. The electricity needed for data centers alone is
predicted to increase by up to 20 percent each year over the next 5
years. Coal will help power them. It will give our industry an edge, a
competitive advantage. In turn, more workers will find that they get
steady, reliable paychecks. Coal miners will also get new
opportunities. All of America will get a boost.
More American energy also means that data centers, artificial
intelligence--which are major users of energy--will grow here in
America, not overseas. With it, we can power our economy; we can win
the energy race; we can win the AI, artificial intelligence, race
against communist China.
More energy secures our Nation. Energy security is national security.
Republicans understand it. President Trump understands it. That is why
he is going to do what he is doing this afternoon at the White House,
and I am delighted to have been invited to be part of it.
We don't need more liberal energy chokeholds. Energy independence is
what matters for our Nation and our future. Europe, last year, spent
$23 billion on Russian oil and gas because they didn't have enough of
their own energy. That is more money than Europe sent in aid to
Ukraine. This shows you that Europe's energy crisis proves dependency
upon our enemies for energy is self-defeating.
American energy dominance, including clean coal, reduces our Nation's
vulnerability. The climate alarmists--and we hear them, and we
understand they will come to the floor to talk about this--claim that
coal is the energy of the past. They are misinformed. Clean coal is a
fuel for the future. It is affordable, it is reliable, and it is ready
to go.
President Trump knows that. He knows that coal is a key ingredient in
an all-of-the-above energy strategy and agenda for our Nation. So I
look forward to standing today with President Trump to celebrate this
victory for Wyoming and for America and for a strong energy future for
our Nation.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sheehy). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
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