Cramer Credits ND Citizens for U.S. Energy Abundance, Calls Attention to Middle Class Growth

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Kevin Cramer credited North Dakota’s citizens for providing an abundance of energy resources to the nation in a Natural Resources subcommittee hearing last week. The hearing in the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee focused on the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act, which would increase offshore energy exploration and production on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Cramer began his remarks by responding to a Democrat colleague who earlier in the hearing stated expanding domestic energy production is an “old, rejected idea”.

“Let me say I agree when I hear my friends on the other side talk about tired old arguments. One of those tired old arguments is based on a different world order than the one we live in today. It’s an argument based on scarcity, rather than abundance. Many of the arguments they make are not relevant in today’s abundance of natural resources, and North Dakota is the evidence of that. The other argument I get tired of hearing about is ‘what are we all complaining about, after all, oil production is up.’ Let me say on behalf of the citizens of North Dakota, ‘You’re welcome.’”

“We have an administration that without question wants to limit supply so they can force reduction of demand. And they want to limit demand,” Cramer said. “When the former Secretary of Energy calls for $7 dollar a gallon gasoline, you know that’s a priority.”

In his question to the hearing witness panel, Cramer highlighted the ladder of income and career growth benefitting North Dakota’s middle class. “I would like to ask each of you which economic class benefits most from enhanced oil production. In North Dakota, I’ve noticed the middle class has done the best. We have more people in the middle class, and we have seen people move up within the middle class.”

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, North Dakota had the highest growth in personal income of any state during 2012, at 12.4%.

Congressman Cramer is a member of the Natural Resources and Science, Space and Technology Committees, including the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, and the Subcommittee on Energy of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

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