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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Dagen McDowell on Fox Business this morning to discuss President Biden’s action on energy including plans to impose a moratorium on fossil fuel leasing on federal lands and revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. Below are excerpts from the discussion.
On the moratorium:
“It will have a major impact on the ability to be energy secure, to create those good middle class American jobs, to be less dependent on foreign oil. So it's a big deal to say the least.”
“There needs to be a bipartisan effort to at least sound the warning alarms. Remember, this too, Dagen: This is president who wants to spend a lot of money. Taking revenue away from the federal government certainly is manifest in stopping drilling on federal lands. Those are federal resources. Those resources generate revenue that will otherwise have to be filled either by borrowing or other tax increases.”
On Keystone, energy costs:
“That means we're going to be more dependent on foreign oil, foreign oil from some place other of than Canada. It will have an impact on our relationship with our closest neighbor and biggest trading partner in Canada … There is no group of people more negatively impacted by higher energy costs and fewer energy jobs than the middle class and lower income Americans. So it's very ironic with this president, that wants to be a jobs creator and wants equality, would start out by attacking an industry that provides lots of opportunity for every American.”
Senator Cramer also discussed his opposition to Janet Yellen’s nomination and the upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate.
On the Yellen nomination:
“The one thing as a Senator that I intend to do, and it’s part of why I voted against Janet Yellen's confirmation last night, is we have the opportunity through our advise and consent rule with people that are nominated for confirmation to challenge them on the issues of energy security, energy development, job creation, tax policy, regulatory policy. We have to, I think, hold them to account and not just roll over like a lot of Republicans frankly are in supporting Joe Biden's nominees that are very anti-energy and anti-jobs … She is interested in raising taxes on pretty much everything. She's a climate activist extraordinaire. She wants to raise taxes on people, middle class Americans, all of these things are bad for our economy and they're certainly bad for energy development in our country.”
“She advocates for a $40 a ton carbon tax, so that raises the cost of everything that we produce, everything we develop, everything we grow, everything that we manufacture in this country. and it starts with a $40 a ton tax on energy development.”
On impeachment:
“I doubt there are seven [Republican senators supporting impeachment], quite honestly. I'm certain there aren't 17, at least not today. I don't know how there could be because two things. One, the constitutionality of even doing this with a former president, not a sitting president, is questionable to say the least. But even if it is … the President's own words, the very transcript of his speech, is clear that there was not at least a criminal level of incitement that i can see anyway. The President suggested, told these people go and protest peacefully and patriotically. They're translating that into violently and somehow giving him the liability or laying the liability on him. I don't think his words were very good. I think it was wrong. I think it was too much. I think there was some problems with his speech. But I don't think you can lay the blame, and I certainly don't lay the specific blame for the actions of people, criminals, frankly, with him. So it's certainly counter to any desire by the sitting president to encourage unity in this country.”
