In last night’s presidential debate former Vice President Joe Biden said that he would “transition” away from the dominance of the oil industry, and replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.
When President @realDonaldTrump asks Joe Biden if he would close down the oil industry.
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 23, 2020
Joe Biden responds: “yes”
Biden would eliminate 19 MILLION jobs. #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/KIMDwIy3GW
Before clinching the Democratic nomination for president, Biden vowed to ban fracking outright, as well as eliminate federal subsidies for fossil fuels. Kamala Harris also said that there is “no question” that she is in favor of banning fracking; these radical energy policies would eliminate millions of jobs in the energy sector. Biden’s comments last night make his stance on fracking clear, even as he hopes to win states that benefit from oil jobs, including Pennsylvania and Michigan.
In Michigan’s battleground Senate race, GOP nominee John James responded to Biden’s comments on the oil industry, and slammed incumbent Sen. Gary Peters (D) for complicity with the attacks on American energy independence.
"Last night Joe Biden called for the destruction of America’s energy independence, taking the American automotive industry right along with it. That’s 182,000 jobs-- good paying jobs that Joe Biden thinks we can spare during one of the worst economic crises of our lifetime. These are the same type of policies Gary Peters continues to support. Thankfully, President Trump called-out this extreme, left-wing idea,” James said on Friday. “It would decimate automotive jobs, hurt Michigan's economy, crush small businesses, and send our gas prices through the roof. There's only one person in Michigan's Senate race who has ever created a job and you can tell it's not Sen. Peters. Peters wouldn’t even oppose the Green New Deal which also would eliminate these jobs. Biden and Peters’ plan to eliminate oil and gas jobs in Michigan would cost 182,000 jobs and $15 billion, almost 5 percent of the Michigan economy. Our solutions must be environmentally and economically sustainable. Sen. Peters and Joe Biden have the wrong ideas that would take us right back to the Lost Decade."
Sen. Peters’ campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Biden's vow to "transition" the oil industry. Recent polling shows the competitive Senate race tightening and James closing in on Sen. Peters, with less than two weeks to go.
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