***Click here for photos.***
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment Public Works (EPW) Committee, delivered remarks at the Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum where he highlighted the need to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) economic aggression by reorienting American manufacturing and trade policy.
“China is a pacing threat, but it's not all about hypersonic missiles, fighter jets, or submarines,” said Senator Cramer. “It's about our economy and their manipulation of other economies, as well as their geopolitical advantage in places like Africa, South America, or wherever there's a vulnerability because we chose to not use our influence. It’s really about the weaponization of critical infrastructure, minerals, and fuel sources.”
He also discussed his Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act, which he introduced with Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). This bipartisan legislation would direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a comprehensive study comparing the emissions intensity of certain goods produced in the United States to the emissions of those same goods produced in other countries.
“For the last decade, we’ve acquiesced much of our excellence and dominance, and we missed opportunities to trade with our partners and like-minded countries,” added Senator Cramer. “We’re already paying a domestic price for carbon through our compliance with the strongest environmental policy. We shouldn’t add a domestic tax on top of the price we pay to comply with these high standards. Before you make the case for a fee or a tariff, you need to have evidence. Our PROVE IT Act is the first step in creating the baseline, validating and quantifying what we already intuitively understand that we do it better than the rest of the world. This gives us real data and real numbers to back it up.”
Background:
Senator Cramer penned an op-ed in the Washington Times outlining a comprehensive America First production and manufacturing policy to counter Chinese economic aggression. He also penned an op-ed with Senator Coons on how the PROVE IT Act will level the playing field for American manufacturers by giving them credit for the cleaner production standards they abide by.
In addition, Senator Cramer was named a 2022 Clean Energy Champion by CRES.