Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday the attack on Saudi oil facilities should give voters pause when they hear the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates vowing to ban fossil fuel production on federal land.
Mr. McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said the “Iranian attack” has shaken global energy markets, but the United States has largely been insulated from soaring gas prices because of the GOP’s push for energy independence on Capitol Hill, “often over the strenuous objection of Democrats.”
“You’d think the country would be united in celebration, but not everyone is happy,” Mr. McConnell said on the floor of the Senate, adding that House Democrats have been pushing legislation that aims to curb domestic energy development.
“As far as I can tell from the bills the House keeps sending us, the socialists are calling the shots over there,” he said. “They have never seen a pipeline they didn’t want to cancel.”
Mr. McConnell said Democrats running for president are touting a similar vision.
“Almost all of them have endorsed the radical idea of ending oil and gas exploration on federal lands — not only offshore, but onshore too,” he said. “That is today’s Democratic Party.
“This ideology has consequences for American prosperity, but it also weakens our nation’s footing in the world,” Mr. McConnell said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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