WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) recently hit the streets of Washington, D.C. to discuss his concern about communist China’s growing influence in the third episode of the Bill on the Hill series. Cassidy explained that China is growing its economy, and simultaneously building its military, all at the expense of the American worker. After hearing fellow Americans share his concerns, Cassidy presented his plan to address the nexus between economic development, national security, and the environment. His Foreign Pollution Fee Act would even the playing field while holding China accountable.
“For years, China has been strengthening its economy at the expense of the American worker by not enforcing environmental standards,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The U.S. has lost 2.5 million jobs in the last 20 years to China, fueling China’s military expansion. This must stop!
“My Foreign Pollution Fee [Act] begins to hold China accountable for their lack of environmental standards. It will even the playing field, bring the jobs back to the U.S., and give China less money to build up its military,” continued Dr. Cassidy. “It is a win, win, win instead of a lose, lose, lose.”
Background
Cassidy frequently highlights the geopolitical challenges confronting U.S. manufacturers operating internationally. Adversaries exploit lax environmental and labor standards to gain an unfair trade advantage over American companies. Cassidy advocates for a U.S. foreign policy integrating national security, energy security, economic strategy, and climate considerations.
Cassidy penned editorials in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Times, and jointly in the USA Today Network with State Senator Caleb Kleinpeter (R-Port Allen), and State Representative Blake Miguez (R-Erath) discussing the geopolitical threats China poses to U.S. global standing. 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 Spring, the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to pursue a climate and trade policy. Learn more here.
In 2022, Cassidy released a landmark energy & climate policy outline in response to the Biden-Harris 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 Act, 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 with the introduction of the WHALE Act and the Offshore Energy Security Act of 2023.
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