WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), HEAT Co-Chairs Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), HEAT member Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) and 59 other members joined a letter led by Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.) to President Biden in response to a cybersecurity attack on the Colonial Pipeline Company, which forced the 5,500-mile pipeline offline and caused massive gasoline supply shortages across the southeast United States. President Biden should oppose destructive energy policies like those which restrict the construction of additional American pipeline capacity and have undermined our energy security.
“The rapid onset of this crisis, caused by a Russian criminal organization, highlights the need to invest in our nation’s critical infrastructure,” the letter reads. “We urge you to reevaluate the regulations and permitting processes that prevent construction of new pipelines to distribute fuel throughout the country and the expansion of domestic refining capacity. While your administration has taken some small hasty steps to patch the immediate supply shortages, these are not the permanent reforms we need for the sustainable future of our economy and energy infrastructure.”
“Instead of ensuring that the reliability and low costs of American energy independence are enjoyed by every family across the country, your early actions as President have only made our nation more fuel insecure and exacerbated cost disparities between different parts of the country. On the first day of your Administration, you announced the revocation of the cross-border permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline and reversed other executive orders aimed at streamlining the federal permitting process for critical infrastructure projects. These actions demonstrate an intent to make needed infrastructure construction more difficult. However, the current crisis created by taking a single pipeline offline shows that while our nation has made great strides towards total energy security, we must ensure that every region in the country can enjoy the same levels of energy reliability.”
The letter urges President Biden to reject irresponsible policies like the Green New Deal and instead focus on true energy infrastructure reforms that allow the construction and permitting of new pipelines and refineries. Through the first few months of his presidency, President Biden has failed to make American energy more reliable and undermined American energy dominance to the benefit of Russia, OPEC, and others.
Read the full letter here.
The letter was signed by Republican Whip and HEAT Co-Chair Steve Scalise (R-La.), Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), HEAT Co-Chairs Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Reps. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), David McKinley (R-W. Va.), Fred Keller (R-Pa.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Garret Graves (R-La.), Carol D. Miller (R-W. Va.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), Roger Williams (R-Texas), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Lance Gooden (R-Texas), Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (R-Ariz.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Ronny L. Jackson (R-Texas), Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-N.C.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Rick W. Allen (R-Ga.), Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), Brian Babin, D.D.S. (R-Texas), Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-Ind.), Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), August Pfluger (R-Texas), French Hill (R-Ark.), Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.), Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), Pat Fallon (R-Texas), Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.), and John Rutherford (R-Fl.).
