Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered remarks in today’s Energy Subcommittee hearing with Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm for the Department of Energy’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget.
Excerpts and highlights from her prepared remarks:
PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ENERGY CRISIS
“Energy is foundational to everything we do.
“Because of President Biden’s energy crisis, everything is more expensive - gas, food, diapers, air fare, heating our homes, buying a car, and much more.
“Inflation now costs Americans $5,000 a year on average.
“Families across Eastern Washington are telling me groceries have doubled.
“Gas prices are causing some of the greatest harm.
“Gas is more than $4 dollars a gallon because of the administration’s actions to undermine our energy independence.
“My Democratic colleagues are doubling down on their blatant blame shifting for political cover by unveiling a bill to give the Federal Trade Commission more authority to go after price gouging.’
“The American people know this isn’t price gouging or Putin’s price hike, it’s a Biden price hike since the day he took office."
ABUNDANCE, NOT SCARCITY
“We must flip the switch for more domestic energy production.
“It is how we lower costs, ensure reliability, and strengthen our security and geopolitical power, too.
“Russia’s immoral and brutal war in Ukraine and Europe’s energy crises prove all that is at stake.
“Because of Europe’s rush-to-green and reliance on Russian energy, citizens are being asked to cut consumption and turn their lights off.
“Scarcity is Europe’s answer.
“This can’t be America’s future.
“Our energy abundance is how we should lead, keep the lights on, lower costs, and fight Putin’s war chest and counter Communist China.
“Our path cannot be to weaken American leadership by receding from world energy markets and dismantling our tremendous energy systems. Yet, that’s what we are seeing."
THE RUSH TO GREEN’S HARMFUL EFFECTS ON SECURITY
“This administration’s rush-to-green agenda has raised costs and emboldened our adversaries like Putin and the Chinese Communist Party.
“President Biden canceled Keystone on Day 1 but greenlighted Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
“His rush to electric vehicles makes us reliant on China.
“He imposed a moratorium on energy development on federal lands, and slow-walked permits for much-needed energy infrastructure projects.
“U.S. oil production has fallen by more than 1.5 million barrels per day since peaking at 13 million barrels per day in 2020.
“Secretary Granholm said yesterday that, ‘Perhaps renewable energy is the greatest peace plan this world will ever know.’
“I cannot overstate how dangerous I believe this statement is for our energy security, our national security, our future as Americans.
“Has this administration failed to learn anything from Europe?"
WE CAN FLIP THE SWITCH TO LOWER COSTS
“We need a course reversal.
“President Biden must reverse his war on American energy.
“We urge our Democratic colleagues to join us on our agenda to secure cleaner American energy.
“We can say ‘yes’ to flipping the switch on domestic production of cleaner oil and natural gas.
“We can say ‘yes’ to the American Energy Independence from Russia Act.
“We can say ‘yes’ to advanced nuclear and new nuclear fuels, by fostering new domestic markets and supply, and by lifting regulations.
“We can say ‘yes’ to innovation that will lead to abundant, affordable, and clean energy."
SECURING A NUCLEAR FUTURE
“DOE was formed to advance the nuclear security missions of the Cold War and later organized to confront the energy security needs created by the 1970s energy crisis.
“These missions still matter, more than ever but this administration has strayed from them in pursuit of appeasing the ideological Left and radical environmentalists.
“DOE continues to maintain the nation’s nuclear deterrent. It serves central roles in international nuclear security and powers the nuclear navy.
“A well-managed DOE enterprise produces amazing benefits."
THE REALITY OF BIDEN’S WAR ON AMERICAN ENERGY
“To close, I want to emphasize again why we need to flip the switch and boost our energy production.
“Last year in your budget hearing, we warned about the consequences of the administration’s war on American energy.
“Today, these consequences are our reality.
“Rising gas prices, an emboldened Russia, a reliance on Chinese supply chains, and weakened security.
“The Biden administration must abandon this dangerous and radical agenda.
“Secretary Granholm, you must restore the core mission on security - both national and economic.
“It’s urgent.
“Let’s celebrate and utilize our energy abundance. Not shut it down.
“Let’s lead a new era of American leadership, not accept a decline on the backs of hardworking Americans by ceding our security to Russia and China."
