It’s clear and should come as no surprise, the Biden Administration and the Democratic Party intend to use the reconciliation process as a means to achieve their most radical, progressive, and draconian climate policies.

These policies promise to be the nail in the coffin to Kentucky coal jobs. Thousands of Kentucky families are threatened with ruin of this bill passes. 

Instead, Congress should allow the U.S. to access the abundant resources at home while removing the government’s hand in deciding who wins and who loses. We should be talking about energy freedom, new technologies, and discoveries. Instead, the debate in Washington continues to be about how much we should subsidize renewable energy.

A key tenant in the Democrats’ latest big government socialism, reckless tax and spend reconciliation bill, dubbed the “Clean Electricity Payment Program,” would penalize and all but eliminate reliable and affordable forms of energy generation by 2030. The goal is to essentially erase fossil fuel energy and promote renewable sources, such as wind and solar, which currently account for only 14% of electricity generated in the U.S. 

This administration has become so fixated on reaching the goal of a 100% clean energy sector that they have completely disregarded the harmful economic implications that come along with such radical changes in such a short amount of time. 

For example, this bill would impose a regressive carbon tax on methane emissions from oil and gas development. Resulting in a tax increase of $10 – $15 billion annually.
After decades of dependance on middle-eastern oil, America is finally self-sufficient and actually an exporter of oil. Do we want to cripple an industry that provides millions of jobs?

At the end of the day, American Households will end up footing the bill in the form of high energy bills and higher prices at the pump – all in the name of progressivism. The national average price of a gallon of gasoline is quickly approaching $4, proving that Washington’s poor public policy decisions have led to Americans paying higher hidden costs. 

Since President Biden took office, we have seen a rise in gas prices due to his freeze on federal oil and gas leases. Gas has risen significantly, going from an average of $2.42 per gallon in January to $3.20 in September.

Proposing such massive slashes to baseload sources of electricity generation, such as nuclear, oil, gas, and coal, opens the door to harmful economic implications that would undermine millions of existing jobs in the energy sector nationwide. ??

Last year, coal-fired energy provided up to 69% of Kentucky’s electricity – with mining being one of the state’s largest industries employing almost 4,000 people across the state. Meanwhile, wind and solar combined accounted for less than 1% of Kentucky’s electricity. 

Historically, the American coal industry has provided reliable and affordable power for millions of Americans, both at home and abroad. Destroying it means going backwards, not forwards.

Protecting Kentucky jobs has always been a top priority of mine.

I have continued to work with my Senate colleagues to stop Washington bureaucrats from limiting our energy choices and waging their war against one of the most affordable and abundant forms of energy we have.

Despite decades of burdensome Federal regulations on the coal industry and government subsidies propping up renewables, coal-fired electricity remains an affordable and reliable form of energy for American consumers. 

No matter which course of action we choose to pursue: creativity, ingenuity, and competition are what drives an energy sector forward – not drowning an industry in regulations while subsidizing another. 

We must seek a more realistic balance in our approach to powering our country before we destroy one of America’s most reliable, affordable, and profitable industries. 

You can read the Op-Ed, HERE.