U.S. writes its own destiny with energy independence

OPINION:

When President Joe Biden assumed the office of the presidency, he stated, “America writes its own destiny.”

I agree. As Americans, we write our own destiny. It’s through the core tenants of freedom, self-responsibility, hard work, entrepreneurship, and free markets that have helped write and shape America’s destiny.

While I would hope President Biden’s remarks would be rooted in these values, it’s clear his actions as president have reflected otherwise.

Since President Biden’s first day in office when he canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline, he has made it clear that writing our own destiny when it comes to energy security is off the table. His administration launched a war on American energy, which has driven energy prices through the roof and hurt everyday Americans.

But beyond the sky-high prices, the Biden administration has also compromised national security by forcing more reliance on foreign adversaries to supplement our depleted energy reserves.

Look no further than the foreign energy cartel, OPEC. Its recent announcement to significantly cut oil production is poised to drive up U.S. energy prices even more. It is entirely unacceptable for the actions of a foreign adversary to have a direct effect on how much Americans pay for gas. If we had an energy strategy focused on production here in the United States, their actions wouldn’t be a concern to American consumers. But that is not the case.

Now is the time to reverse this energy affordability crisis. House Republicans advanced a commonsense, bipartisan pro-energy bill H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act to counteract the Biden administration’s misguided energy policies.

Through H.R. 1, we are working to restore energy independence and lower energy costs. We are ensuring the United States is not just capitalizing on one energy sector, but instead, expanding the reach of American energy production through an all-of-the-above energy approach.

The Lower Energy Costs Act will unleash American energy and lower costs for families by increasing domestic energy production, reforming the permitting process across industries, reversing the Biden administration’s anti-energy policies, streamlining energy infrastructure and exports, and boosting the production and processing of critical minerals.

H.R. 1 also includes my bill, the REFINER Act, to help increase fuel refining capacity in the U.S. At the beginning of 2020, the U.S. held the title for the largest refining industry in the world with 135 operable petroleum refineries with a capacity to refine 19 million barrels per day. Now, we have 128 operable refineries and refining capacity has dropped to 17.9 million barrels per day. My REFINER Act will provide the crucial blueprint to expand refining capacity in the U.S., which will help lower energy costs and restore America’s energy independence.

But even with the great progress we’ve made with H.R. 1, House Republicans will continue pressing for more commonsense, pro-energy growth policies. As a member of the Energy Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, we are looking at this energy crisis from all angles and how it affects varying parts of our nation including Ohio.

This includes advancing clean energy resources like nuclear energy. As the demand for power generation continues to increase and Americans look to reduce emissions to address climate change, investing in nuclear energy will help keep our lights on and economy chugging.

Unfortunately, after leading the world for decades in the development of nuclear energy, the United States has fallen behind its allies and rivals and has seen its competitive edge diminish. This lack of investment has forced the U.S. to import 90% of the uranium fuel used in our nuclear reactors from foreign countries. This is a threat to our national security and our energy independence.

To avoid this threat, I am leading the bicameral Nuclear Fuel Security Act alongside Senators Joe Manchin, John Barrasso, and Jim Risch to expand critical U.S. nuclear fuel programs to boost domestic uranium mining, production, enrichment, and conversion capacity. This legislation would set us on the right path to strengthen our nuclear energy capabilities which will create a safer and more secure America.

America can only write its own destiny if we continue to fight our future both at home and on the global stage. I am proud that the bipartisan Lower Energy Costs Act pushes back against radical, anti-America first energy policies pursued by this Administration so we can secure American energy independence and lower costs for families across America. Together, we can reverse course on failed energy policies.

• U.S. Representative Bob Latta, Ohio Republican, represents Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District and is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He is Chair of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and is a senior member of the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee and Health Subcommittee. Latta also serves as a Deputy Whip; Co-Chairs the Rural Broadband Caucus, Grid Innovation Caucus, and Congressional Propane Caucus; and is an active member of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT).