Foreign Policy

Floor Speech

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Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, here is how this excellent editorial begins:

The U.S. is barreling toward one of the greatest self- inflicted wounds in our country's history.

I could not agree more.

The editorial goes on to list the different actions that I just mentioned--restricting energy production in America, including in Alaska, with ANWR, restricting pipelines, encouraging defunding of the energy sector. It is not good for the country.

The editorial also notes that this will have no impact on global greenhouse gas emissions. None. None. It is virtue signaling at the expense of working families, working Americans, and our national security.

Right now, we are beginning to import more oil from Russia than we ever have. How does that make any sense? How does that help a working family in Alaska or Maryland or anywhere? It doesn't. It does one thing: It empowers countries like Russia and Putin and Saudi Arabia at the expense of the United States. This is a fact. Yet, every day you hear a new action. You read a new quote from someone in this administration focused on killing the energy sector of the United States. Again, as the Wall Street Journal just mentioned, this will be recognized in history as one of the greatest self-inflicted wounds, with no upside. No upside.

We have the highest environmental standards in the world in Alaska when we produce oil. Highest in the world. Russians have the lowest, and yet we are now preferring Russian oil over American oil.

Can anyone tell me how this makes sense? It doesn't.

Here is how the editorial concludes:

Progressives want to surrender one of America's [most] strategic economic advantages in the name of [so-called] saving the climate. But banishing fossil fuels in the [United States] won't eliminate carbon emissions, which will [just] be produced [elsewhere]. So will . . . jobs [and] economic growth and [the] geopolitical [advantage that comes with our energy dominance].

Let me conclude by saying this. As I mentioned, I agree with President Biden and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. We need to address challenges, particularly with our adversaries like China and Russia, from positions of strength. Two of the most prominent positions of strength--the U.S. military and our energy dominance--right now are being undermined by this very administration.

They need to change course, and if they do, we will support their actions.

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