Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act; Providing for Consideration of H.J. Res. Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Suspending Energy Imports From Russia Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the previous question so this Democrat-controlled House can finally do the right thing: pass the American Energy Independence from Russia Act.
This morning, Americans are seeing even higher gas prices on their way to work than they saw on last night's commute home. Sadly, tonight, tomorrow morning, next week, and next month, they are going to see the same episode play out on those commutes to and from work over and over again.
With the cost of living and inflation over the last year spiraling out of control, the last thing American families need is $7 to $8 a gallon gasoline.
Due to the policies of President Biden, we are more reliant on Putin and Russian energy than in recent history.
I agree that we must immediately halt the import of Russian oil and LNG. However, it is a false narrative pushed by President Biden that it should be an unavoidable hit to Americans' pocketbooks. This was avoidable, and it didn't have to be this way.
Since Biden's first day in office, he has forced executive orders and supported policies that have made us more dependent on Russian energy. These policy choices are directly to blame for the increased pain at the pump that middle-class Americans are feeling.
Take, for example, the opening line of an AP article 2 weeks ago: ``The Biden administration is delaying decisions on new oil and gas drilling on Federal land.''
Sure, some of these leases are not utilized, but that is because they are tied up in litigation from far left anti-jobs groups or because they are awaiting delayed approvals from the Biden administration.
So, instead of approving rights-of-way, following the science, and putting our oil and gas developers to work, Joe Biden is making American families suffer.
On behalf of the American people, the Ukrainian people, and just basic common sense----
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Mr. STAUBER.--I joined my colleagues Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Bruce Westerman in offering an American energy solution.
While Biden's solution is to buy oil from Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, our solution is to put blue-collar workers, American workers, to work here at home and develop our God-given natural resources.
We have the ability to bring costs down by unleashing the economic engine of American energy production. We can do that by defeating this previous question and passing the American Energy Independence from Russia Act.
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