Bring Back American Energy Independence

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, we have another crisis, yet another crisis, created by the policy choices of this White House.

The national average price for a gallon of gas reached $4.32 on Sunday; and, yes, that is the highest price in U.S. history.

Last Thursday, we also learned that U.S. inflation soared 7.9 percent over the past 12 months. That is the largest spike in consumer prices in 40 years.

Now, the Washington Democrats' blame game is in full swing. Just to get this straight, at first, according to Democrats, they said inflation ``wasn't happening.'' Then inflation was ``merely transitory,'' they tried to convince us. Then inflation somehow only hurt rich folks; that was the only line of reasoning.

But Washington Democrats' latest fiction might be their greatest yet: That the past year of steady, unrelenting price increases for gas and consumer goods is actually Vladimir Putin's fault.

Yes, that is right, Madam Speaker, Vladimir Putin. He didn't kill the Keystone pipeline. Joe Biden did. Vladimir Putin didn't ban drilling for oil on Federal lands. Joe Biden did that. Vladimir Putin didn't pass trillions upon trillions in unnecessary government spending in a single year. Joe Biden and the Washington Democrats did that.

Madam Speaker, what is so hard about just being honest with the American people? President Biden should accept responsibility for the past year of rising prices and pledge to correct course. He had better, or we are in for more and more pain.

The President should do everything in his power to make it easier, not harder, for America to produce more oil and gas. This would lower prices for the American people. It would make our country and Europe less dependent on foreign energy. But instead, President Biden says he actually ``can't do much right now'' about the skyrocketing gas prices.

The Democratic Caucus leader said the issue of gas prices ``hasn't come up'' during his party's caucus meetings. Really? You haven't made time to discuss any solutions to the number one issue facing Americans right now?

Now that the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats know they are in a tight spot, here is the thing: They are trying to convince the American people that an American President can't control gas prices in the United States but Russians can. Good luck with that.

I thank my colleagues for being here tonight for my Special Order hour this evening.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, from energy States like ours--Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and the others--we have been saying this for a long, long time: Energy security is national security. Now, everybody recognizes it.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany), another gentleman who knows quite a bit about this issue.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for his remarks.

Madam Speaker, when we think about energy States, of course, we probably think about Texas first. I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), who represents that State so well.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank Dr. Babin. That is Texas strong, as we expected.

Madam Speaker, one of the strongest Republican delegations in our Congress comes from another State, Tennessee. I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose), one of the hardest working men in Congress.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, a lot of comments there from the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose), and we will stay on that theme for the great State of Tennessee.

Madam Speaker, I am happy to yield Mr. Burchett, another gentleman from that great State, for more common sense.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my friend. He has been a faithful participant in the Special Order hours, getting the message to the American people, and it is so important right now.

Madam Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), another gentleman who has been very faithful to deliver this message to the American people week in and week out.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for his comments. There are so many consequences to these bad policy choices, and I appreciate his illuminating many of those tonight.

Madam Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), another faithful messenger for the truth in America.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend. He has a way of putting it so clearly, and I am grateful for his voice. It is so consistent.

Madam Speaker, I yield next to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. C. Scott Franklin), who came to Congress after 26 years of distinguished service as a naval aviator and knows of what he speaks.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida for bringing that wisdom to the floor tonight. There has been a theme here this evening with all of my colleagues who have participated in this Special Order hour. We have an energy crisis, the latest crisis that has beset the American people because of terrible policy choices from this White House and the Democrats in Congress. It is just plain and simple, those are the objective facts.

It seems like almost a decade ago now, but just a little over a year ago, if you rewind to the Trump years, you can recall, and everyone will know again more objective truth, objective facts, how well we were doing in all of these areas.

President Biden came in and did exactly the opposite. I mean, when President Trump took office, he came in--I remember very vividly the first time he came and spoke with the House Republicans in our conference, and he told us, among the first commitments he made to us-- I mean, this is January of 2017. He was just taking office. We had just begun that Congress, and he came and spoke to us and said, ``I don't want to talk about energy independence anymore. I want to talk about energy dominance.'' Dominance, he said.

Of course, from an energy State like mine in Louisiana, the Louisiana delegation was delighted to hear that because we know what it means not only for our State's economy but for the stability, the security of our entire country.

I will tell you what, more objective fact, President Trump delivered on that promise. In a very short period of time, we became not only energy independent again, but energy dominant, just as he said. We became a net exporter. All boats were rising. The economy was doing well. In fact, we had the best economic numbers in the history of the world, not just the history of the United States. Prior to COVID, we had the best economy because of the policy choices that were made. We advanced those policies through the Congress; President Trump led on them, and his administration did a fantastic job. Because of that, our energy stability, our energy security, all of that was well in place.

And then President Biden comes in, and he does instinctively, I guess, exactly the opposite. Again, in very short order, he reversed all of those great trends. As has been articulated so many times tonight, among the first executive orders he issued--I mean immediately upon taking office in January 2020--was an executive order that killed the Keystone pipeline. There were more than 42,000 jobs related to that project just killed overnight; as well as all the energy independence and energy dominance that that would have meant for us.

And then he issues the moratorium on Federal production on Federal lands. Well, that killed a State like Louisiana. Not just on the land, but right offshore as well. Of course, that is a big part of our economy and in the other energy States. It was just devastating.

At the same time, while he is killing the Keystone pipeline, he is ending Federal production on Federal lands, he green lights the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. That was Putin's project. So he empowers Russia, he fuels the war machine for Putin because, of course, he can supply oil all over Western Europe, and that filled his coffers.

Listen, it was mentioned tonight these stickers that are on the gas pumps all over the country, these ``I did that'' stickers that have President Biden's picture. It is funny. We don't support vandalism, right? But, I mean, I see them all over Louisiana, and it is devastating.

President Biden is pointing to the sticker shock, the cost that it is taking everyone to fill their tanks, and it is exactly right. That is very telling. A picture is worth 1,000 words. He is responsible. These are the results of policy choices.

And as Mr. Franklin of Florida said a few moments ago, these problems are completely self-inflicted. And because of that, let's always remember, they can be easily reversed. The President could just do the opposite of what he has done since he took office; reverse course and fix this dilemma for the American people.

But you know what? He won't do that. I don't know if it is because he is beholden to the radical left environmentalist agenda, the climate agenda, or if he has some sort of ulterior motive. I am not sure.

But I will tell you what: My constituents are asking that question openly right now, and millions upon millions of the American people who are suffering because of these policies are beginning to ask that as well.

Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel), who has a few more things to say about this issue.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I am so grateful the gentlewoman came to participate. We know she is very busy. It has been a long day in the Education and Labor Committee. We are grateful she is doing that great work.

Madam Speaker, I know that the time is winding up for our Special Order hour. There was a lot going on on Capitol Hill today. I am grateful to my Republican colleagues for coming in and participating and helping to share this very, very important message with the American people.

There is a lot of spin going on in the country right now, from TikTok influencers, to media types who are engaging in the spin for the White House at their request, and the American people see through it. They are making and being made to make difficult choices for their families.

Hardworking Americans are suffering right now because of these policy choices. There is crisis after crisis after crisis everywhere we look because of, frankly put, poor leadership in the White House.

I believe that we will have a change in all of this come November in the next election cycle, and with the presidential election that will follow 2 years later. And it can't happen soon enough because the White House has shown no intention, no indication that they will reverse policies, as they should, as we mentioned a moment ago could be easily done to alleviate the pain for all these Americans. But for whatever reason, they will not do it.

Madam Speaker, I will wind down this evening. I want to thank my colleagues for being here, participating in this really important Special Order hour, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source