Congresswoman Bice accuses Biden of undermining American energy security

Oklahoma congresswoman Stephanie Bice says the Biden administration has shown a pattern of repeatedly attempting to undermine American energy security.

In a column this week, she wrote that the Biden administration has carried out an anti-American energy agenda and she is working to restore American energy independence.

Rep. Bice also pointed to recent reports about Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and her secret talks with the Chinese.

From working on behalf of the American people to providing critical oversight of the Biden Administration, House Republicans have hit the ground running. During the 118^th Congress, my Republican colleagues and I have taken concrete steps to counter President Biden’s anti-American energy agenda and restore American energy independence.

Domestic energy production is vital to our country’s economy and is ultimately a matter of national security. In March, the House passed H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act in a bipartisan fashion. President Biden’s full-on assault on domestic energy has caused the price of gas and home heating to soar, resulting in skyrocketing inflation.I was also excited to see that my legislation, the Bureau of Land Management Mineral Spacing Act, was included in the package. This bill will prevent unnecessary delays for energy producers and remove duplicative red tape that will allow for the unleashing of American energy.

The natural gas industry plays a vital role in Oklahoma providing billions in economic impact for the state and over 100,000 jobs. The Biden administration’s efforts to continuously control every aspect of our daily lives by banning natural gas appliances would be detrimental to my fellow Oklahomans and Americans across the country. This is why I introduced H.R. 4395, the Natural Gas Appliances Standards (GAS) Act in July. This legislation would safeguard affordable energy for consumers and give Oklahomans the freedom to continue to choose the type of appliances they prefer in their homes.

It is also imperative that we maintain rigorous oversight over Secretary Jennifer Granholm and the Department of Energy. According to recent reporting, in 2021, Granholm engaged in multiple closed-door meetings with a top energy official in the Chinese Government. These meetings occurred just days before the Biden administration announced it would tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). This official is a longstanding member of the Chinese Communist Party and served in a leadership role for several years at the China Petrochemical Corporation. It is deeply concerning that Sec. Granholm is discussing America’s energy posture and strategy with an increasingly adversarial country like China. The SPR currently only contains 346.8 million barrels of oil, the lowest it has been since August 1983. Secretary Granholm’s decisions to tap into the SPR placed a band-aid on the problem while avoiding the root causes. Furthermore, their actions have made the United States weaker and more susceptible to a national security threat.

The Biden Administration has shown a pattern of repeatedly attempting to undermine American energy security. House Republicans and I are committed to fighting against this and restoring energy dominance. We have the ability to produce clean, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy in our state- the Biden Administration just needs to get out of the way.