Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) vowed this week to fight President Biden’s war on energy by blocking State and Energy department nominees.
The Louisiana Republican is taking aim at the recently announced pause on new and pending permits for liquefied natural gas export terminals, some of which are in his home state.
While the Biden administration claims the pause is so the Energy Department can update its evaluation process, Kennedy explained in a Wall Street Journal op-ed what he really believes is going on.
“Here’s the truth: Climate warriors want President Biden to destroy America’s fossil-fuel industry, but he doesn’t want to pull the trigger himself,” he said. "By withholding permits, the president can scare away investors, bleed these projects of capital, and claim to have clean hands if the terminals close.”
The senator also argued there is no "environmental justification" for killing these energy jobs.
Natural gas is the reason America leads the world in carbon-emission reductions. From 2005 through 2019 natural gas drove a 32% reduction in American carbon emissions while creating 1.4 million manufacturing jobs and ensuring that families paid half as much to heat their homes. Apparently, whichever TikTok influencer convinced the Biden administration to ban LNG permits forgot to mention that side of the natural-gas ledger.
Natural gas is also a key to several of the Biden administration’s other environmental pet projects. Electric cars? They plug into an electrical grid powered by natural gas. Wind turbines and solar panels? Natural gas provides a reliable backstop so folks don’t face blackouts when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. That’s why the European Commission recognizes natural gas as a sustainable energy source. (WSJ)
Kennedy said Americans and U.S. allies will suffer because of this unnecessary decision.
“Until Mr. Biden drops this battle against American energy, I’m going to block every nominee he tries to place at the State and Energy departments,” Kennedy concluded. “Like the Terminator, I’ll be back again and again to stop his nominees and remind the world that he’s intentionally killing jobs and threatening our national security to placate confused climate extremists.”
Speaking about his pledge Wednesday on Fox News, Kennedy said there would be some exceptions for “crucial” nominees, according to The Hill.