Scalise: Dems' Far-left Energy Policies Are Ruining U.s. Economy, Driving Higher Prices
Press Release
Yesterday, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox Business Network's Kudlow to discuss how Democrats' anti-American energy policies are hurting the American people. Whip Scalise called out President Biden for begging hostile foreign countries, like Venezuela and Russia, for oil instead of turning to American energy producers. Additionally, Whip Scalise highlighted how House Republicans' "Commitment to America' would lower inflation, cut energy costs for American families, secure the border, and reduce crime.
On President Biden's threat to tax American energy producers:
"Everywhere I go, and I've been to over 40 congressional districts in the last few weeks, people are fed up with this madness, this far-left socialism, all of this taxing and spending that is raising their prices. The reason people, hardworking families that are living in the real world, are paying more is because of all of [President] Biden's actions.
"He shut down American energy [on] day one, and he said he would crush drilling in America, and he has. And now the price goes through the roof, and his answer is to beg foreign countries like Russia to produce. Why don't we make more here in America?
"But they keep spending money. He just signed a $730 billion tax hike -- people are paying even more at the grocery store -- he's going to double the size of the IRS on small businesses [and] hardworking families, all under the guise of reducing inflation. Everybody knows it's "malarkey,' to use his term.
"Frankly, I think people are fed up. They're going to vote in record numbers next Tuesday for Republican candidates everywhere from Oregon to Miami, to all the way up in Maine, down to Arizona and New Mexico. You're going to see it all across the country. People are going to say we have had enough of big government socialism. Let's bring some common sense back to Washington."
On House Republicans' plan to unleash American energy production:
"I know the answer to a lot of our problems is unleashing American energy, unleashing American opportunity and entrepreneurship. I mean, they are attacking everything that is great about free market capitalism, the ability for people to choose and control their own [destinies]. But if you look at energy, you want to lower costs? Lower energy costs. Let us produce more in America.
"Again, if you're worried about the planet, they talk about global warming and the Green New Deal, and yet they're begging countries that emit more carbon to produce while they're shutting down the cleanest country in the world. These people love beating up America. They wake up every day trying to find out what they can attack about America instead of recognizing we're the best country in the world, we're the most innovative, but also we're the cleanest.
"If you want to use fossil fuels, which we're going to for decades, don't get it from Russia, or from Venezuela or Iran. Get it from America. We can produce enough for ourselves and our friends all around the world at a lower cost for families and lower carbon emissions. This makes all the sense in the world. It needs to be one of the first things we do.
"And we're running on this, too. This is in our' Commitment to America' to have a strong national energy policy to help those hardworking families who are fed up with [President] Biden's tax hikes, all of [President] Biden's high prices at the pump -- they're done with it. And all the people that have been voting with them a hundred percent of the time. Most Democrats right now that are running for re-election have voted with [President] Biden one hundred percent of the time to create this mess. We're going to come in and start bringing bills to fix it."
On California's self-made energy crisis:
"You don't plug your electric car into a tree! [Governor] Newsom says, "You can't drive fossil fuel cars. But, oh, by the way, you can't plug your car in at night,' because their electric grid is so unstable.
"[The electric grid is unstable] because [Democrats have] gotten away from stable fossil fuels and nuclear energy. This is madness. People understand it. The White House doesn't get it. Everywhere else in America, they do."
On diesel shortages leading to supply chain problems:
"Shortages in diesel are coming. Our supply chain is already messed up enough. It's already messed up enough because of [President] Biden's agenda. And now it's going to be [a] even bigger problem with diesel. Diesel prices are usually higher than gasoline prices too.
"So again, you wonder why you're paying more for things at the grocery store. Part of that is the high price of energy that [President] Biden [created]. He got his way. [President] Biden ran as a candidate saying, "No more drilling offshore. No more drilling onshore. No more drilling, period.' [President] Biden said that.
"Then he put policies in place to do it. Then, [shockingly], the price goes up. And then he looks around and tries to blame everybody else except himself. People know this. People know [President] Biden, you did it. Now live with the consequences or fix [them]. Work with [Republicans] to fix it, but he won't.
"So, I think a Republican majority coming in is going to be a ray of sunshine. Hopefully, [President] Biden will start working with us, but we're going to pass bills to lower energy costs. We're going to pass bills to secure the border through the House. We're going to deal with these problems in the House. Hopefully, we get a Republican Senate, and maybe then [President] Biden will see the light and say, "Hey, maybe I'll work with those Republicans,' to fix the problems that he and his big government socialist friends created."
On House Republicans' plan to reverse Democrats' self-made crises:
"Well, I hope [President Biden listens to the will of the voters]. We're going to give him that opportunity, Larry. We are going to pass bills, and look, we're running on this agenda, the "Commitment to America,' to address these problems, and we showed the country we will bring bills to lower energy costs, to produce more in America, to secure our border. And if we get elected, to address crime and communities all throughout America.
"If we get elected, [President] Biden has got to decide. I remember having this conversation with [former Speaker] Newt Gingrich when we were putting our' Commitment to America' together. I said, "When y'all passed the "Contract with America," [President] Clinton ignored you until you won the majority, then he had to work with you.'
"[President Clinton] didn't like a lot of those ideas. But ultimately, he worked with Republicans to get welfare reform to balance the budget to embrace those conservative ideas that work and that helped [President] Clinton get re-elected. But I don't know if this President has the autonomy to work with us.
"You know, we're here with some of the people behind the scenes that are making a lot of the big decisions. Will they allow [President] Biden to work with us on these ideas and put his partisanship aside and say, "You know what? The voters spoke. The voters said, "We're at we're done with big government socialism. Work with Republicans to fix these problems and get our economy moving again [and] get the country back on track."' Time will tell.
"We're going to give him that opportunity. Will he sign or veto those bills? I hope he'll sign the bills that would be good for America. And it would be good for him, by the way. But that's a decision for him to make, and we'll see if he can make those decisions."
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