Wyden Blasts Republicans for Manufacturing Nationwide Energy Crisis

Wyden Blasts Republicans for Manufacturing Nationwide Energy Crisis

As Prepared for Delivery

Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here

Shortly, the Senate will vote on a resolution brought forward by Senator Kaine on the topic of U.S. energy production.

Donald Trump came back into office huffing and puffing about "energy dominance." He said all our economic problems would go away if we: "Drill, baby, drill!"

Here's the reality. Like the vast majority of his agenda, everything he says about this issue is fraudulent, and everything he does is rooted in a sweetheart deal for his wealthy donors. Back in February, he signed the executive order declaring an "energy emergency," which is the subject of today's floor action. This emergency declaration has nothing to do with energy dominance, and everything to do with creating more giveaways to Big Oil. He's looking out for the same oil and gas companies he solicited for big checks right in the middle of the 2024 campaign. His offer to them was, give me your money, get me elected, and I will let you oil companies run the show.

That was as dirty as it gets. But I'll give Trump this: he's kept his promise to Big Oil.

He has gutted American energy production, ceded ground to China on the clean energy arms race, and rigged the system in favor of fossil fuels.

After declaring this energy emergency, he and Republicans took a wrecking ball to American energy production by gutting tax credits for wind and solar energy in their budget bill. These tax credits passed under Democratic leadership back in 2022 finally put wind and solar energy on equal footing with oil and gas. My guiding principle when crafting that legislation was that creating good-paying American jobs and securing a clean energy future aren't mutually exclusive. They can and must go hand-in-hand.

These tax credits helped to kick off a manufacturing boom in America. Hundreds of billions of dollars in private investments. Hundreds of thousands of jobs. New factories went up all over the country. Battery technology. Clean vehicles. Energy-efficient products for businesses and homeowners. It was already bringing down energy costs for consumers.

In terms of the global arms race for clean energy jobs and investment, the U.S. went from the middle of the pack to the front basically overnight. Until at Trump's direction, Republicans destroyed all of that progress at the first opportunity, in order to pay for more tax cuts for corporations and his wealthy pals and donors. When Republicans were gearing up to pass their reconciliation bill, I warned that it would be a bloodbath for clean energy.

Fast forward three months. Manufacturing projects are being canceled. Jobs are being lost. Utility bills are rising.

Their budget bill was a total abandonment of clean energy, and the workers that will lose their jobs as a direct result.

And last week, the Administration announced plans to cancel over 7 billion dollars in funding for clean energy projects. Almost every single one of those projects was located in a blue state. Oregon alone had over 400 million dollars in funding canceled.

And they're not stopping there. Republicans have derailed management of our public lands to prop up coal. Oregonians see through this for what it is. A gobsmacking attempt to hurt American families just to score campaign contributions.

Now, the United States is barreling toward a self-inflicted energy crisis manufactured entirely by Republicans. Energy demand is skyrocketing. Utility bills are rising. Keeping costs low and meeting demand is going to require an all-of-the-above approach. Instead, Republicans are focused on handouts to billionaires, Americans' bank accounts be damned. It's clear as Crater Lake that all the talk from Trump and Republicans about American "energy dominance" was a fraud. Nothing but a hollow campaign slogan.

The Republican energy agenda is a level of economic self-sabotage that leaves you slack-jawed.

I'll close with this. The American people voted for cheaper groceries, utilities and gas. They didn't vote for an energy crisis that benefits no one except Big Oil investors.

Beginning with Senator Kaine's resolution, the Senate has an opportunity to help bring an end to Trump's manufactured energy crisis. This is a chance for the Senate to fight for lower prices, more jobs, and greater energy security while Donald Trump works to undermine them.

I urge my colleagues to support the resolution, and I yield the floor.

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