Cotton: First oil and gas companies and now ‘meat conglomerates'
Sen. Tom Cotton tells 'The Ingraham Angle': Next week they will probably blame elf on the shelf for lack of Christmas presents.
The Biden administration and Democrats have waged war on the American oil and gas industry, all while Russia expands its oil and gas footprint around the world. Off the bat, President Biden canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline, stopped leasing on federal lands, and unleashed regulations that have destroyed at least 10,000 good-paying oil and gas jobs.
As a member of Congress, it is my duty to inform the public and stand up against flawed regulations that will impede or damage the lives of the American people. With many crises facing the nation like record high gas prices, inflation, and the onslaught against American energy independence, we must continue to fight to bring stability to this country and further American exceptionalism.
Last year, Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform began to complement the Biden administration’s agenda during a hearing with four major energy companies represented, ExxonMobil, BP, Chevron and Shell Oil. Those in the majority berated the executives from these companies with accusations of lying regarding their actions on combating climate change.
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Despite these companies being industry leaders when it comes to technology and innovation to reduce carbon emissions, Democrats have attempted to depose these executives to further their agenda. This has been done by issuing countless legal document requests and holding hearings meant for partisan show, rather than gain.
We need to focus on issues that impact Americans directly, like the rising cost of gas. Oh, it has real impact – gas prices have risen 40% at the pump. So much for helping the working class, Biden.
As a senior Republican member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I have had a front-row seat to these hearings. Democrats on the committee have now subpoenaed the board of directors of the same major oil and gas companies, despite the recent hearing which produced hours of testimony and hundreds of thousands of documents.
Deposing members of a company’s board is a severe move usually reserved for when there is clear misconduct. It is not warranted here. It is another attempt by the Democratic Party to demonize the oil and gas industry and push their agenda, regardless of the truth already being presented. Clearly, President Putin and President Biden have a lot in common – they both use the energy industry as a pawn to destroy whom they choose.
It is the job of Congress to investigate and make findings where accountability is needed and appropriate. But I do not agree with partisan power plays that do not result in tangible and productive action. These accusations are focused on one thing: "climate disinformation."
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Congress should work to conserve our environment while also pushing to regain America’s robust energy independence. As an Eagle Scout, I have always prescribed to the thought of being a good steward of the natural goods that God graciously bestowed us.
The American people are suffering from the costs of inflation, of rising gas prices, and of the threat of Russia’s expanding footprint all over Europe as it uses its own natural gas leverage. It is time for Congress to turn its attention to solving these problems, and leave the partisan investigations meant for political theater behind.