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Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Fred Keller (PA-12) participated in a joint hearing with the House Natural Resources Committee and the Congressional Western Caucus to discuss the impact that the Biden administration’s anti-American energy policies are having on domestic production, energy costs, and national security.
Keller’s full remarks are below:
Thank you, Ranking Member Westerman, Chairman Newhouse, and the witnesses who took time out of their busy schedules to share with us today how the current administration’s energy policies have impacted their communities. I appreciate the opportunity to join my colleagues in bringing to light the heavy costs President Biden’s flawed climate goals impose on the American people.
In the six months since President Biden took office, the price of a gallon of gas in the us has risen by 45 percent. The people who are most affected by the administration’s anti-domestic energy approach are families and individuals on fixed incomes, especially seniors. The average price of gas is roughly 1 dollar per gallon higher than a year ago. With inflation increasing the prices of so many other consumer products, how are Americans going to afford travel to and from work, purchase groceries, and make ends meet in their daily lives?
With the price of fuel skyrocketing, we must redouble our efforts to safeguard mining. Pennsylvania ranks first nationally for underground gas storage sites, second for natural gas production, and third for coal production. In 2019, the U.S. Energy and employment report stated the fuels industry employs over 54,000 Pennsylvanians, 42 percent of which work directly in mining and extracting.
While we are seeing the short-term effects that the Biden administration’s disastrous policies are having on the price of fuel, we are still unaware of the long-term effects that democrats’ misguided measures will have on national security, the price of energy, and American self-sufficiency.
If the president truly wishes to keep Americans safe, employed, and prosperous, then I urge him to rethink his current energy approach. Thank you and I yield back.
