OPINION:
The American Dream is made possible by abundance. The more jobs, the better. The more food on the table, the better. The stronger our national security, the better. An abundance agenda promises that any American who is determined and willing to work hard can tap into the United States’ unlimited potential and achieve his or her own American Dream.
In the United States, natural resources are vast, supporting more than eight million jobs in the energy sector alone. We boast more crude oil than any other country in the world. We ought to be a people of plenty. So why has our well-being and wealth been under threat?
Starting on Day One, back in 2021, the Biden-Harris administration made it their mission to kneecap domestic energy production. From banning new offshore oil and gas drilling to canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, they effectively declared war on American energy, the American worker, and our national standard of living.
Attempting to satisfy left-wing environmental zealots, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris cut tens of thousands of high-paying jobs in the United States. Predictably, the economy floundered. The most prosperous nation in the world became one in which filling up the gas tank was a struggle. The American Dream was yanked out of reach of the average family. All the while, the president and vice president patted each other on the back.
The damage has been great, and yet the hope is greater.
Although there is much to do if we are to return to energy dominance and a thriving American Dream, President Trump is focused on reversing the former administration’s attacks on the American Dream. So am I.
Americans voted for President Donald Trump and Republicans, who made big gains in the Senate, where I serve on the mission-critical Energy and Natural Resources Committee, for this reason and more. Republicans are already hard at work reversing Biden-Harris green policies. Two of my bills are advancing: the Made in America Energy Act and the Offshore Energy Security Act. They would bring high-paying energy jobs back to the U.S. by requiring the U.S. Department of the Interior to hold offshore oil and gas lease sales off the coast of Louisiana, in the Gulf of America.
We’re also working to bring manufacturing jobs back to our communities. I have introduced a plan to level the playing field for American manufacturers by applying a fee to high-pollution imports from countries like China, where factories operate with little or no regard for pollution standards. So, foreign competitors pollute freely while American manufacturers are put at a daunting competitive disadvantage. My plan would eliminate this disadvantage, increase American competitiveness, and offset unfair trade practices from China.
U.S. energy production is a lifeline to our allies and a stabilizing force for international markets and the economy. When American energy thrives, our allies thrive. By the same token, when America is stripped of its energy independence, the world is forced to rely on corrupt and predatory foreign adversaries to keep the lights on and the fuel tanks filled.
Indeed, the Biden-Harris campaign against American energy was a huge win for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Notably, in 2021, Biden waived sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream II natural gas pipeline, deepening European dependence on Russian gas and giving Putin the idea that the U.S., and Europe would be too weak to resist the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Now that three years have passed since that unprovoked attack, we must take strong measures to ensure a future free of Russian energy. The Europeans should get the fuel they need, including LNG, not from Russia, but from Louisiana and the rest of America.
President Trump wants to end the war in Ukraine, and we hope he is successful. Yet at the same time, we must end the war against American energy. In fact, we should win it. This vision of American energy dominance will not only secure peace, it will also guarantee, over the long term, abundant prosperity.
• Dr. Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Republican, is the state’s senior United States senator. He is the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee (HELP) Committee. He also serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Finance Committee and Veterans Affairs committees. Prior to the U.S. Senate, he served in the U.S. House, State Senate and taught LSU medical students and residents at Earl K. Long, a hospital for the uninsured.
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