Opening Energy Week in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Congressman August Pfluger said here Monday morning that House Republicans are waging a battle royal against the policies of the Biden administration and they called for the election of former President Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election.
Meeting the media in front of an Ensign Drilling Co. rig being operated for Diamondback Energy southeast of Odessa, the Republicans said the Permian Basin is key to meeting the national and global demand for oil and natural gas.
“Rep. Pfluger and I both represent states that know the value of American energy,” said Speaker Johnson, who is from Louisiana. “Unfortunately, our commander in chief does not. Biden’s radical anti-energy agenda is bad for America, bad for our allies and bad for our economy.”
Johnson said there was a great deal of coverage of Trump’s pro-energy comments last weekend.
“Democrats and the media took it wildly out of context, but in reality Trump is 100 percent correct,” he said. “If these misguided policies continue, not only will we see a bloodbath in the auto industry, we will see a bloodbath in our energy industry.
“Since the day President Biden stepped into the Oval Office he has waged war against American energy and its producers. He killed the Keystone Pipeline, attacked domestic energy producers, depleted our Strategic Petroleum Reserve and sold it off to China and placed an effective ban on new LNG export terminals.”
Johnson said electricity costs are up by 28 percent and the price of gasoline hit a four-month high last week as a result.
He praised Rep. Pfluger for passing the Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act to lift Biden’s pause on all pending approvals of liquified natural gas export terminals.
Johnson said the House this week will take up bills to support fracking, oppose a carbon tax, decrease fees on oil and gas producers, expedite permitting processes and denounce Biden’s policies.
He commended workers like those from Ensign who attended the news conference “for faithfully working long hours to produce energy for America” and he said in answer to a question from the Odessa American that the work of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which Pfluger is a member, will be crucial for the rest of this year.
“Energy and Commerce has one of the broadest jurisdictions in Congress and they moved all the legislation that’s being taken up this week,” Johnson said. “They have a lot more ideas and they’ll continue to emphasize this pro-energy approach.
“We can take real pride in the Permian Basin’s innovation story. We can do this in a much cleaner fashion than Vladimir Putin or China.”
Pfluger began the 10 a.m. news conference by saying, “Welcome to Odessa, the heart of the Permian Basin, where the spirit of innovation and the drive for energy independence run deep.
“From the hardworking men and women on our oil rigs to the innovative minds in our research labs, this region embodies the American spirit of ingenuity and resilience,” said the San Angelo native who represents Ector County in the 11th Congressional District. “Today we have the distinct privilege of welcoming Speaker Mike Johnson to our community.
“Speaker Johnson’s leadership and commitment to advancing energy independence have been instrumental in shaping policies that support our industry and safeguard our national security. His presence here today underscores the importance of our mission and the critical role that the Permian Basin plays on the global stage.”
Pfluger said the House this week will vote on legislation that he is sponsoring to block Biden’s new natural gas tax.
“This tax would not only stifle innovation and job growth in our region but also undermine our efforts to provide affordable and reliable energy to consumers at home and abroad,” he said. “By standing together and fighting against misguided policies we can ensure a brighter future for generations to come.
“Today we reaffirm our commitment to harnessing the power of American energy to drive economic prosperity and enhance our national security. Together we will continue to lead the way toward a more secure and prosperous future for our nation.”
