WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy, today announced he will block a package of Democrat-passed bills that would decimate the U.S. energy industry, strip states of future environmental protection funds, and threaten the environment by opening the door for foreign countries with worse environmental standards to take the lead in global energy production.
H.R. 205 and H.R. 1941, legislation passed today by the Democrat-led house, would ban energy production in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Tomorrow, the House will take up H.R. 1146, which would ban energy production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. These bills threaten the jobs of millions of Americans and Louisianans that depend on the energy industry. They would also deprive future funds from going to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Historic Preservation Fund and states that receive dollars under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, all of which fund projects to protect historic sites, the environment, and provide outdoor recreation access across the country.
“Democrats are thrusting America’s energy workers into poverty. These bills will cause countries with poor environmental standards and higher pollution to dominate production and industry. They will increase global emissions and hurt the environment,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This package would strip millions of dollars used by Louisiana for coastal restoration and environmental conservation. I will block these bills in the U.S. Senate and continue to work for bicameral, bipartisan energy solutions.”
Cassidy released a white paper earlier this year that makes the case for a pro-jobs approach to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The paper explains how increased use of natural gas lowers emissions while furthering American economic success, and came after Democrats proposed the Green New Deal, which would cost trillions of dollars, put millions of Americans out of work, and increase global emissions by sending energy intensive industries overseas with lower emissions protections. To reduce global greenhouse gasses, the United States needs to provide a model that other countries, including developing nations, can and will follow.
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