Biden’s Energy Policy Is AOC’s ‘Green New Deal Dressed Up As Executive Orders,’ GOP Senator Says

Sen. John Barrasso, Republican from Wyoming, lashed out against President Joe Biden’s energy policies on Thursday morning, calling his strategy “a far-left radical approach” that is killing American jobs, threatening national security, and forcing the United States to become reliant on other countries for energy.

Barrasso, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, made the comments during an interview with Jackie DeAngelis on the FOX Business Channel. The remarks come after President Biden signed a new round of executive actions on Wednesday that prioritize climate change, including suspending new oil and gas leasing on federal land and pushing to end fossil fuel use by 2050. Last week, Biden signed orders to rejoin the Paris climate agreement and revoke the Keystone XL pipeline permit.

“President Biden, in his inaugural address, talked about unity,” Barrasso told DeAngelis on Thursday. “By the time he got to the White House that got thrown out the window, and then he picked up his pen and drew a target on the back of American energy. And then he pulled the trigger.”

“What we’re seeing here is the Green New Deal basically dressed up in executive orders,” Sen Barrasso continued, referring to a set of drastic goals to combat climate change championed by progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York).

.@POTUS has killed the #KeystoneXLPipeline, & he’s stopping additional energy jobs by ending more leasing for oil, gas & coal all around America. Wyoming could lose 30,000 jobs. What we are seeing is the #GreenNewDeal dressed up in executive orders. pic.twitter.com/rbMM9dQUps

— Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) January 28, 2021

Barrasso said Biden’s new direction would hit his constituents hard, many of whom are employed by coal, oil, and gas industries. He estimates the changes could cost up to 30,000 jobs in Wyoming alone.

“The Democrats have gone back to the blame America first approach,” Barrasso said. “The reason we want a strong energy economy in America is its jobs, its affordable energy, and it’s because of our own national security. Energy security is national security.”

The United States became the world’s largest energy producer under the leadership of former President Donald J. Trump. According to CNBC, America surpassed “both Russia and Saudi Arabia in oil production” and “became a net exporter of oil, when including refined products like diesel, jet fuel, and gasoline.”

It’s almost as if we helped shape the platform 😉 https://t.co/zXn3VcAbYw

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 27, 2021

On Thursday, Barrasso accused the Biden administration of playing into Russia’s hands, adding, “Energy is called the master resource for a reason.”

“It powers our economy, our country, our military, and it is an instrument of power on the world stage,” Sen. Barrasso continued. “We don’t want to become more dependent on other countries; we want other countries to be dependent upon us. And it’s the American energy availability that allowed us to do that, and it seems that they want to turn back the clock to the old days of an Obama approach.”

The Houston Chronicle reports, “Four Texas Democrats in the U.S. House are urging President Joe Biden to rescind his executive order pausing oil and gas leasing on federal lands.” The lawmakers signed a letter citing a study that projected “far-reaching negative consequences” such as “near-term loss of potentially one million jobs” and “a cumulative decrease in U.S. GDP by $700 billion.”

Sen. Barrasso said the Biden administration “seems to be going over the cliff” for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, adding, “It’s amazing how scared they are of the liberal left.”