Issue Position: Energy / Environment

Issue Position

America's energy supply should be stable, diverse, and affordable. This means we must work to increase domestic energy production and achieve energy independence.

American energy independence is not simply an economic issue. Energy independence is a matter of national security. Throughout my time in Washington, D.C. I have worked toward policies that encourage the U.S. to meet its energy needs domestically. This mean an "all the above" U.S. energy policy. We must continue to work to increase exploration and production of natural gas and oil, continuing the development and use of coal, along with the development of renewable sources of energy and further develop nuclear energy. As the former Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I have worked hard to build upon the environmental accomplishments of the past thirty years. Scientifically based, well thought-out environmental regulations can provide benefits to the American people. Unfortunately, however, many current environmental regulations are not grounded in science. As a result, they usually do harm and put undue restrictions upon the freedoms of many Americans. Additionally, poorly designed environmental regulations have been a large contributor to the energy problems we now face and have put an unnecessary drag on our overall economy. If we rethink environmental regulation, we could be in a better position in the future and find ourselves in a place where we can have far greater environmental protection, more reliable and diverse energy sources, a stronger national defense, and a stronger economy.

America does not need to be dependent upon foreign powers to meet our energy needs. We must open domestic sources of energy production in our Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska, and on federal lands, and I know it is possible to do this in an environmentally friendly way. Oklahoma plays a key role in America's energy independence. The oil and natural gas industry that helped build our state years ago is experiencing a resurgence and contributes billion of dollars and thousands of jobs to our Oklahoma economy.

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