WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), State Senator Caleb Kleinpeter (R-Port Allen), and State Representative Blake Miguez (R-Erath) penned a joint editorial for the USA Today Network on their efforts to hold global polluters accountable. Cassidy led the introduction of the Foreign Pollution Fee Act, and Kleinpeter and Miguez introduced a resolution that supports trade policy targeting foreign polluters while benefitting American workers, which was unanimously passed by the Louisiana House and Senate. This approach addresses the nexus between energy, economic development, supply chains, national security, and the environment at the expense of China and Russia.
“America produces energy and manufactures products cleaner than anywhere else. It happens right in our backyard. But we don’t take advantage of this reality, nor do we reward it,” wrote the lawmakers.
“Polling shows that 84% of Louisianans agree or strongly agree that — regardless of personal beliefs about climate change — the U.S. needs to hold high-polluting countries like China and Russia accountable for their carbon pollution. Taking the next step, 75% of Louisianans agree that America should enact policies that discourage products made with higher carbon pollution and provide incentives for products made in America with less carbon pollution. Similarly, 80% of Louisianans agree or strongly agree that foreign countries with more carbon pollution should be required to pay a fee when their high-carbon products enter the U.S. to ensure that U.S. manufacturers can compete fairly. And 76% of Louisianans support placing a pollution fee on high-carbon imports from China, Russia and other foreign polluters,” continued the lawmakers.
“It’s time to use our advantage in cleaner manufacturing and energy production to bring supply chains back home. In doing so, we expand American production and create jobs while discouraging the import of more pollution-intensive, foreign-produced goods. We’ve introduced bills to do this. Louisianans support this. Let’s get it done,” concluded the lawmakers.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other foreign governments have ignored international norms and agreements regarding environmental protection and pollute the world without consequence. Instead of rewarding the U.S. for its stellar environmental record, the existing trade system not only allows the CCP to exploit loopholes but heavily compensates them for their poor pollution record. This combination undercuts U.S. manufacturing domestically and abroad causing the loss of millions of U.S. jobs and dependency on problematic supply chains. In the last 20 years, the U.S. has lost roughly five million jobs, and half of those losses are a result of our trade deficit with China. Meanwhile, the U.S. has eliminated more emissions than any other country, while our economy is 44% more carbon efficient than the world average.
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U.S. Must Enact Trade Policy to Support Louisiana Industry, Penalize Global Polluters
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, state Senator Caleb Kleinpeter, and state Representative Blake Miguez (state senator-elect)
Shreveport Times
America produces energy and manufactures products cleaner than anywhere else. It happens right in our backyard. But we don’t take advantage of this reality, nor do we reward it.
The American manufacturing economy is three times cleaner than China and four times cleaner than Russia. Energy produced in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana is 46% cleaner than the global average. On top of that, this production supported 346,710 total jobs, including 13% of Louisiana workers and contributed $54.3 billion to Louisiana’s total gross domestic product.
Despite this well-documented advantage, the United States relies on cheap foreign imports and China-dominated supply chains for the building blocks of modern life.
A business deciding between opening a manufacturing plant in the United States and China has a clear monetary incentive to pick China. China does not enforce pollution standards and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) heavily subsidizes industry to undercut American manufacturers. We need to hold China accountable for its unfair practices so American manufacturers can have a fair chance to compete. We have pushed solutions on both the state and federal levels to do exactly that.
Last spring, a resolution state Sen. Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, sponsored with then-House Republican Leader Blake Miguez, R-Erath, was unanimously adopted by the Louisiana Senate and House. The resolution urges Congress to enact a trade policy that supports United States businesses and workers while penalizing global polluters.
In Congress, Republican U.S. Sen. Cassidy led the introduction of a bill to penalize foreign polluters. This is an American plan to address the nexus between energy, economic development, supply chains, national security and the environment at the expense of China and Russia.
Both the state-passed resolution and the legislation in Congress promote American economic development and the rebuilding of U.S. supply chains, particularly in rural communities. It rewards American businesses and workers for their superior environmental performance while penalizing global polluters.
This concept is immensely popular in Louisiana, especially among conservatives. Polling shows that 84% of Louisianans agree or strongly agree that — regardless of personal beliefs about climate change — the U.S. needs to hold high-polluting countries like China and Russia accountable for their carbon pollution.
Taking the next step, 75% of Louisianans agree that America should enact policies that discourage products made with higher carbon pollution and provide incentives for products made in America with less carbon pollution.
Similarly, 80% of Louisianans agree or strongly agree that foreign countries with more carbon pollution should be required to pay a fee when their high-carbon products enter the U.S. to ensure that U.S. manufacturers can compete fairly. And 76% of Louisianans support placing a pollution fee on high-carbon imports from China, Russia and other foreign polluters.
It makes absolutely no sense that we allow China to pollute freely and intentionally and then export their products to the U.S. — threatening U.S. jobs, manufacturing and national security. Not to mention, China’s pollution blows over the ocean and impacts air quality on our shores. Americans live with the consequences and breathe the air pollutants China willfully ignores.
It’s time to use our advantage in cleaner manufacturing and energy production to bring supply chains back home. In doing so, we expand American production and create jobs while discouraging the import of more pollution-intensive, foreign-produced goods.
We’ve introduced bills to do this. Louisianans support this. Let’s get it done.
Background
Cassidy penned editorials in Foreign Affairs and The Washington Times discussing the geopolitical threats China poses to U.S. global standing. Cassidy stressed the need for a U.S. foreign policy towards China that meets at the nexus of national security, energy security, economic policy, and climate policy. He also joined Greta Van Susteren on Newsmax to discuss his foreign pollution fee, noting the competitive advantage China receives from intentionally ignoring environmental standards.
Last year, Cassidy released a landmark energy & climate policy outline in response to the Biden administration’s assault on domestic energy. The outline details how we can successfully reset U.S. energy policy, including Cassidy’s plan for an Energy Operation Warp Speed to cut permitting red tape and unleash domestic energy and manufacturing. In support of this complete vision and in addition to the Foreign Pollution Fee, Cassidy led Republican colleagues in opposition to a domestic carbon tax, and introduced the first comprehensive judicial reform for permitting bill. He also pushed back on disastrous proposals from the Biden administration to limit development in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) with the introduction of the WHALE Act and the Offshore Energy Security Act of 2023.
Since the publication of the Energy Operation Warp Speed outline, Cassidy cosponsored two comprehensive permitting and environmental review reform proposals fitting the Warp Speed vision: the Simplify Timelines and Assure Regulatory Transparency (START) Act and the Spur Permitting of Underdeveloped Resources (SPUR) Act. These bills substantively reform the nation’s broken permitting and environmental review processes that delay key energy, infrastructure, and transportation projects across America.
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