Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act; Providing for Consideration of H.J. Res. Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Suspending Energy Imports From Russia Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question so we can immediately consider the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, led by my friend and the Republican leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
This week our President, our American President, asked Venezuela and Saudi Arabia to increase oil production, asked them to boost their output so that American consumers wouldn't see a spike in gas prices.
It seems like a noble cause at first glance, but I couldn't help to think to myself what a strange thing to ask because surely he knows that we can also boost domestic production right here at home. Surely he knows that domestic production supports American jobs, and surely he knows that domestic production is cleaner, by far, than foreign production; far better for the environment than Venezuelan oil unless that Socialist dictator suddenly became a devout green energy disciple without any of us knowing it.
Surely President Biden knows that energy demand doesn't just disappear because you tell middle-class Americans to go buy a Tesla. Surely he knows all of this, right? The answer is, of course, yes, he does know that, and the entire Democratic Party knows this. It is impossible not to know these things because these things are called hard facts. They are indisputable. Those facts are simple and worth repeating.
Number 1: The world will demand at least 50 percent more energy in the next 50 years. That is a fact.
Number 2: The energy demanded will be reliable energy; electricity that turns on when you want it, heat that keeps you alive in the winter, and air conditioning that keeps you cool in the summer.
Fact number 3: Solar and wind cannot and will not ever provide this reliable energy, no matter how often you worship and pray to the deities of wind turbines and solar panels; proudly made, of course, by the Communist genocidal country of China.
Fact number 4: American production of oil and gas is far cleaner than any other country, except maybe Canada.
These are indisputable facts. So where does that leave us? For anyone wise in the ways of common sense, it leads to one conclusion. It is in the American interest to pursue absolute American energy dominance. If you don't believe me, let's outline the alternative. Let's imagine we go the way of Germany and invest half a trillion dollars in building out unreliable wind and solar production, only to watch our energy prices rise faster than anywhere else and yet still be forced to turn on coal plants and import Russian gas because your green energy just doesn't work the way you wanted it to.
The rest of Europe wasn't all that different. They increased their reliance on Russian gas from 10 percent to over 40 percent now, and I cannot help but notice that the Democratic Party seems intent on pursuing this very path, canceling leases and pipelines, increasing regulations, chastising our industry. If no one else here noticed, someone in Russia certainly did.
Fast forward to 2022, and Putin, with his newfound leverage over European energy supply, realizes it may just be the right time to exercise his imperialistic ambitions and retake the old Soviet territory of Ukraine, leaving thousands of innocents dead and a Western world order completely upended.
We are all left thinking the same thought, wouldn't it be better if it was America supplying Europe its energy? Wouldn't it be better if Europe wasn't held hostage to the whims of a dictator? Wouldn't it be better if we didn't have to wonder where the extra oil would come from after we rightfully ban Russian imports?
Most of us are thinking that, of course. Unfortunately, those in the majority, those in power are not. I pray that you start.
We should defeat the previous question, pass the American Energy Independence from Russia Act and pursue true American energy dominance.
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