Cloture Motion
Floor Speech
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Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, beginning in his first days in office, President Biden paused all oil and gas leasing on Federal lands and then killed the thousands of jobs supported by the Keystone XL Pipeline. Fast forward to today, prices at the pump are more than 40 percent increased from a year ago. Home heating costs have increased by more than 20 percent going into the winter.
Under President Biden's new policies, instead of reducing this burden on hard-working Arkansans, President Biden has made it clear that his agenda trumps the needs of American families and is doubling down with his new reckless, energy-destroying spending bill that will only increase these costs.
This far-left Democrat wish list makes the undeliverable promises, proposes to dramatically drive up costs for every American, would eliminate thousands of jobs in the energy sector, and would accelerate our already rapid inflation.
This is not a realistic approach to address our country's environmental energy needs. Heavyhanded rules that reduced energy supplies are likewise counterproductive.
We should not turn our back on the existing energy sources that we have in North America that lower gas prices and reduce our dependence on oil from unstable regions. American manufacturers need long-term access to affordable energy so our country can compete globally against nations with much lower environmental standards. Also, in the event of a national security or energy crisis, for example, access to our resources will be essential.
Bureaucratic overreach and unwarranted spending will not only drive up energy costs on consumers but will also do the most harm to low- and middle-income families. Think of the impact this would have on single moms and seniors on fixed incomes. These families are most affected by burdensome regulations and can least afford a costly, unworkable energy policy.
We must continue to use an all-of-the-above approach to diversify our Nation's energy portfolio. Working to increase exploration and production of natural gas and oil, continuing the development and use of coal, along with support for renewable and nuclear energy, should all play a role in our national energy strategy. America's energy supply should be diverse, stable, and affordable.
President Biden is pushing hard to get Congress to agree to his plans in time for this week's climate summit. It is fitting that the summit is in Scotland, as European nations have shown us the dangers in addressing climate change the wrong way.
Poorly conceived mandates to eliminate fossil fuels have resulted in a cavalcade of problems for agriculture across the continent.
Surging natural gas prices have resulted in fertilizer plants closing, created a food-grade CO
Our friends in the UK went heavy on wind power only to have the wind stop blowing, forcing energy companies to scramble for gas reserves, and consumers to face much higher bills.
As ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, I take these warnings very, very seriously. The President's plan would be an absolute gut punch to our Nation's family farmers and rural America as a whole, especially as inflation continues to skyrocket under this administration's watch.
The cost of farming is on the rise. Land, fuel, seed, fertilizer, and livestock feed prices are all increasing. Soaring costs of inputs come at a time when the farm economy had only recently begun to turn a corner. Now with further increases, farmers, once again, face the possibility of a downturn in the farm economy as profits dwindle.
Propane--heavily relied upon in rural America for agricultural production and home heating--has seen prices almost double this year. In fact, market experts are predicting an ``Armageddon'' as we head toward the winter. Now President Biden and his allies in Congress would enact policies that double down on economic hardship by eliminating affordable sources of energy, particularly those relied upon in rural America.
Much of the President's agenda comes directly from the Green New Deal, a far-left agenda that most Americans have roundly rejected. Working with President Trump, we successfully fought off the Green New Deal. Now President Biden wants to resurrect it and rebrand it as ``Build Back Better.''
Given the troubles Democrats have had writing their bill, it seems that America doesn't want it either.
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