By: Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24)
The United States is the largest producer of petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear energy in the world, yet the Biden-Harris administration and the Democratic party are trying to stifle American energy production, increasingly relying on imports from our adversaries to keep our economy afloat. To continue leading the world in innovation and finding new, cost-effective, and efficient ways to harness our natural resources, we must diversify our energy production and consumption while ensuring consumers are not priced out by regulations or government overreach.
In 2019, under the Trump administration, our country became energy independent for the first time since the 1950s— a significant accomplishment for our nation's prosperity and national security. Yet, progressives in Washington and Albany have taken an anti-American approach todomestic energy production. Somehow, their unscientific Green New Deal agenda has pitted them against the expansion of nuclear power and domestic production of natural gas. American natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel produced in the world, and nuclear power yields the highest megawatt-per-hour output of any form of energy at zero carbon cost. Democrats' opposition to these two in the name of climate change is not only hypocritical but dangerous.
American carbon dioxide emissions are now lower than they were in 1990, almost entirely due to domestic natural gas and nuclear power. Meanwhile, China has been ramping up its use of coal and importing larger quantities of crude oil by the year. China is now by far the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, and the climate alarmists in Washington and Albany could seemingly care less. Maybe that’s because Governor Hochul employed a Chinese Spy? Instead, they continue to point fingers at Republicans trying to find realistic solutions to our nation’s energy needs.
The reality is that the fight against green policies has only ever been about one thing: control. From banning gas stoves to combustion engine vehicles, Democrats want to control every aspect of American's way of life through their Green New Deal agenda.
We do not have to choose between clean, affordable energy and protecting our environment. We can and must do both. In Congress, I am supporting a robust package of legislative initiatives to do just that—expand safe, clean, reliable American energy while continuing to be a good steward of our environment. Through common-sense conservation and pro-energy policies, we can do our part to preserve our planet's natural beauty for future generations while unleashing economic growth and prosperity.
