Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting immediate action be taken to strengthen the United States and its allies abroad “by embracing America’s domestic crude oil and natural gas industry and halting the importation of Russian crude oil and natural gas products.”
In part, the letter states:
“Every administration since 1973, Republican and Democrat, prioritized American energy independence — until yours. The recent events in Ukraine are yet another example of why we should be selling energy to our friends and not buying it from our enemies.
“Energy-producing states like Oklahoma are ready to step up domestic production in an environmentally responsible way …. With your support, we can significantly increase production to meet America’s domestic needs and export energy to our allies, reducing their dependence on foreign adversaries ...
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“Mr. President, energy security is national security. Right now, ahead of your first State of the Union address, there is a window of opportunity to reverse course on your administration’s resistance to domestic oil and gas production. I encourage you to embrace American energy producing states here at home. Now is the time to put politics aside and work together to regain our energy independence and support our allies around the globe.”
The entire letter can be read here.The White House on Tuesday also issued a news release on the topic ahead of Biden’s State of the Union address.
“President Biden campaigned on a bold vision of tackling the climate crisis with the urgency that science demands by seizing the opportunity to build a strong domestic energy sector that can manufacture and deploy clean energy for the benefit of all Americans — with lower costs for families, good-paying jobs for workers, and healthier air and cleaner water for communities,” it said.
“Since day one, he has delivered. After rejoining the Paris Agreement, restoring scientific integrity, and reinvigorating U.S. leadership on the world stage, President Biden mobilized every federal agency to achieve groundbreaking goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030, reaching 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, and delivering 40% of the benefits from federal investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities.
“The president formed the first-ever National Climate Task Force, bringing together Cabinet leaders to drive decisive action toward those goals.”
U.S. Sen Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., also released a statement on the issue.
“As we continue to support the Ukrainian people’s ability to defend themselves, bolster our Eastern NATO allies, and deter (Russian President Vladimir) Putin from continuing his aggression, I call upon the Biden administration to reverse its anti-fossil energy agenda and to do everything in its power to undermine one of the Kremlin’s biggest economic tools — high energy prices,” Inhofe said.
“This includes withdrawing from the radical, job-killing Paris Climate Agreement, granting permits to restart the Keystone XL pipeline, abandoning proposals for unprecedented new taxes on the oil and gas sector, and reducing regulations that have led to production costs surging in America over the past year. This will not only weaken his ability to wage continued war against Ukraine, but also provide much-needed relief here at home for hard-working Americans, many of whom are facing $5 per gallon at the gas pump and 40-year high inflation.”
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