Holding 52 town hall meetings throughout the vast 11th Congressional District and fighting for his American Energy Freedom Act as a minority member of the U.S. House of Representatives have impressed Congressman August Pfluger with the urgency of his responsibilities.
The San Angelo Republican says the theme of the town halls is frustration and his principal answer has been that he is doing all he can to give the energy industry the support it needs.
“The people are frustrated with the federal government, the administration, the economy, the lack of transparency, the politics and the laws that are being passed,” Pfluger said last Thursday from San Angelo, where he was home for his daughters’ first days of school. “They don’t feel like the country is going the right way.
“They’re hurting in their pocketbooks and are finding it hard to put food on the table. There’s a resounding level of frustration because of the economic disaster President Biden has put us into with inflation costing an American family of four $6,000 to $7,000 more a year for things like food, gasoline and utilities.
“They are feeling the pain and I’m telling them first and foremost, ‘I’m hearing you loud and clear.’”
Pfluger said Congress’ most effective response would be to pass legislation like the American Energy Freedom Act and his House Resolution No. 218, which would prohibit Biden from putting a moratorium on oil and gas drilling. “I ask at every town hall if the president is making our nation more secure and prosperous because I don’t see two more important roles,” he said.
“We should make the energy industry as potent and strong as possible because it underpins the rest of our economy.”
Pfluger is forcefully challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to declare parts of the Permian Basin ‘non-attainment areas’ and halt oil and gas production. “I have been sending letters saying, ‘Explain your actions!’” he said.
“America is facing threats from around the world that are the most complex and alarming in our history — cyberthreats, the Ukraine-Russia war, the threat of China invading Taiwan, the drug-trafficking cartels and Afghanistan being free again to grow terrorists. We’re facing threats so complex that we have to be as strong as we can be and our most important weapon is our economy.”
Now being considered in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in Washington, D.C., the American Energy Freedom Act is co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Mary Miller of Illinois, Madison Cawthorn and Ted Budd of North Carolina, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Byron Donalds of Florida, Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee and Matthew Rosendale Sr. of Montana.
The resolution would prohibit the president from unilaterally enacting leasing bans on federal lands, eliminate the presidential permit requirement for cross-border energy projects on federal lands and waters, mandate the on-shore and off-shore oil, gas, wind, solar and geothermal lease sales that have been blocked since January 2021, reduce foreign dependence for critical minerals by expanding access and streamlining permitting, require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy to review permits to export liquefied natural gas within 60 days and prohibit the rejection of a natural gas pipeline if the project meets safety regulations, among other features.
House Democrats hold a 222-213 advantage, but Pfluger is confident that the Republicans will regain the majority in the Nov. 8 election.
With hundreds of people attending many of his meetings and as many as 5,000 dialing in for his telephone town halls, the former Air Force fighter pilot said his weekly “Pfluger Fly-by” email bulletins have 30,000 subscribers.
Having scheduled a town hall at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 30 at the M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library in Mason, Pfluger since March last year has held town halls in Midland, Andrews, Stanton, Lamesa, Bronte, Robert Lee, Coleman, Goldthwaite, San Angelo, Colorado City, Brady, Menard, Junction, Eastland, Breckenridge, Stephenville and Mineral Wells.
Also, Ballinger, Eden, Odessa, Mason, Granbury, Brownwood, Llano, Menard again, Junction, Irion County, Odessa again, Lampasas, Killeen, Eden again, Goldthwaite again, San Saba and Brady again.
Also, Midland again, Garden City, Coke County, Sterling City, Early, Ballinger again, Granbury again, Clyde, Comanche, Coleman again, Lamesa again, Stanton again, Colorado City again, Odessa again, Andrews again and Stephenville again.
