“[Revenue sharing from offshore energy is] a middle class and lower economic class benefit program because those things are touching services, aside from the jobs being created, directly impacting the quality of life,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Can I get a commitment from you, as much as you can possibly do it, that when we have lease sales now, they will be as they are scheduled?”
“As someone who is participating in a lawsuit, suing the federal government to try to get them to hold the lease sales when they were supposed to be held by law, you can count that as head of Interior, we will be following the law when it comes to lease sales,” said Governor Burgum.
“I think the operative statement is you’ll be following the law, and that’s a good thing,” replied Dr. Cassidy.
Separately, when discussing Cassidy’s Foreign Pollution Fee Act, Burgum also noted that Cassidy was spot on that President Trump plans to use tariffs to hold other countries accountable for unfair trade practices.
“One thing that I’ve been concerned about is that countries like China do not enforce international standards on controlling pollution. That lowers their cost of manufacturing as much as 20%, incentivizing manufacturers to leave our country and move there,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“One thing I have been proposing—Senator Graham is my cosponsor—is a Foreign Pollution Fee that would put a fee on certain products from a country like China roughly equal to their voided cost of not complying with environmental regulations. As [President Trump] speaks about tariffs, this would be a tariff that would be thoroughly defeasible,” continued Dr. Cassidy.
“I think you are spot on to recognize President Trump, who has a willingness to use tariffs,” said Governor Burgum. “His principle is reciprocity. If you have access to our markets and we don’t have access to yours or if you are using unfair practices, if you are dumping… that is exactly the kind of place [President Trump] has publicly spoken about that he would want to have reciprocity with tariffs.”
Background
Today, Cassidy introduced his Offshore Energy Security Act of 2025 to require the U.S. DOI to hold two offshore oil and gas lease sales per year for 10 years. 2024 was the first time in over 50 years there was not a single lease sale held in the Gulf of Mexico.
Last Congress, the ENR Committee passed Cassidy’s RISEE Act to increase funding from offshore energy revenue sharing that Louisiana uses for coastal restoration
He also pushed back on disastrous proposals from the Biden administration to limit development in the Outer Continental Shelf by introducing the WHALE Act, the Offshore Energy Security Act of 2023, and the Supporting Made in America Energy Act to mandate oil and gas lease sales.
Last month, Cassidy and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released a new discussion draft of their Foreign Pollution Fee Act to level the playing field with Chinese manufacturing and expand American production for public comment. In addition, the Steel Manufacturers Association, which represents 70% of the nation’s steel production, called on President-elect Trump and Congress to institute a foreign pollution fee.
The Foreign Pollution Fee Act was a key topic at Cassidy’s Louisiana Energy Security Summit. The summit featured ten panels that explored protecting U.S. interests from unfair trade practices, Louisiana’s low-emission manufacturing advantage, and the role of natural gas in strengthening U.S. geopolitical influence. Panelists included presidents and CEOs from Entergy, First Solar, Buzzi UnicemUSA, Orsted, and Aluminum Technologies, former Trump administration officials, and leaders from Louisiana trade associations and major energy and Fortune 500 companies.
In 2023, the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to pursue an industrial manufacturing and trade policy to counter competition from China. Learn more here.
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