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WASHINGTON, DC—In a House Ways and Means Full Committee hearing, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) questioned United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Tai on President Biden’s domestic hostility towards the oil & gas industry and to ensure it is not applied to our trade policy.

Click here or the image above to listen to full remarks.

Excerpts:

“You mentioned worker-centric trade policies, and I don't take any exception of raising the standards of workers around the world. And certainly, I want an even playing field for our job creators here. But my question is not about the workers in Mexico, Canada, Kenya, or China, it’s American workers. I'm concerned about the workers in the oil and gas industry.”

“The big threat is the Green New Deal like extreme climate policies and the unilateral actions the President is taken by, with the stroke of a pen, canceling critical infrastructure like the XL pipeline, saying we're not going to drill on public lands. I got to tell you—I used to say that China was our greatest threat with respect to international trade and economic competition and challenges, more broadly. Listen, these policies are the enemy of our oil and gas producers. Hardworking, taxpaying folks who are truly turning the wheels of this economy.”

“We're actually reducing the carbon footprint and greenhouse gases because of the extraordinary gains and exporting LNG. Could you speak to your commitment to oil and gas, especially again with the backdrop of all of these [domestic] policies. Which they feel like, and I believe it's true, are an assault on an industry that's been so good for this country. It’s been a blessing to our country.”

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Congressman Jodey Arrington is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives serving the Nineteenth Congressional District of Texas. He serves as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.