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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 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 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 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.
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 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 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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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 21(1), Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 21(2)
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