WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Energy Action Team co-chairs Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) joined House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) in a joint statement blasting Joe Biden’s unrealistic and dangerous promises to outlaw fossil fuels and destroy the livelihoods of millions of Americans employed in energy-producing jobs.
“By radically suggesting that we should get rid of oil, the Democrat Party’s leader would destroy American jobs, increase energy costs on hard-working families, and make our country less secure by increasing our dependence on oil from Russia and Middle-Eastern countries. America’s abundance of oil, coal, and natural gas drives our economy, lowers household electricity costs for families, and secures our energy independence. The Democrat Party’s leader’s explicit vows to destroy the millions of jobs that rely upon these natural resources is an affront to American workers, our friends and allies overseas, and the all-of-the-above energy strategy that led to a cleaner environment along with the strongest economy our nation has ever seen. Threatening to take away the livelihood of millions of hard-working families and increase household energy costs in the middle of a global pandemic is beyond irresponsible, and every Democrat in Congress ought to denounce these absurd and dangerous proclamations.”
BACKGROUND:
- The traditional energy sector employs roughly 6.8 million Americans and added over 120,000 new jobs in 2019 alone.
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that a fracking ban imposed in 2021 would eliminate 19 million jobs and reduce U.S. GDP by $7 trillion in just four years.
- The same study found that household energy bills would more than quadruple and that drivers would pay twice as much for a gallon of gasoline.
- According to a report by the Global Energy Institute, “keep it in the ground” activism, including New York State’s ban on fracking, has prevented over $91 billion in economic activity and ruined 700,000 job opportunities.
- The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimates a fracking ban would raise the cost of farming wheat (64%), corn (54%), and soybeans (48%).
- Other estimates show that a 100% renewable energy grid would cost Americans anywhere from 43 to 286% more on their electricity bills.
- America’s poorest families spend 22% of their household budgets on utilities and gas. By comparison, families in the top income quintile only spend 5% of their household budgets on these same expenses. Rising energy prices hit low-income families harder.
- In New England, moratoriums on natural gas extraction, and pipeline transport from Pennsylvania and Ohio caused electricity price increases that were double that of similar regions across the country.
- In 2019, as a result of fracking and increased natural gas production, the U.S. reduced CO2 emissions by 140 million tonnes, the largest reduction of any country according to the International Energy Agency.
- Because of fracking U.S. emissions have outpaced the rest of the world. According to the EPA, from 2005 to 2018, total U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions fell by 12 percent, while global energy-related emissions increased nearly 24 percent during this period.
- Abroad, the Green New Deal and similar plans would make our allies more dependent on bad actors and rogue states like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela for their energy needs. Domestically, outlawing fossil fuels would degrade our ability to rely upon our own natural resources as we make the switch from reliable energy to unreliable or unproven “green” techs.