CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey issued the following statements in response to executive orders and other actions planned by President Joseph Biden hours after his inauguration.
Rejoining the Paris Climate Accord
“Withdrawing from the Paris agreement in 2017 was the right thing to do, so it’s an immense disappointment that President Biden would recommit our nation to provisions that will harm the American economy and thus our citizens. We should not be a party to it,” Attorney General Morrisey said.
“Our nation can accomplish a cleaner environment and a brighter future without the Paris accord’s draconian measures, measures that our competitors, China and India, do not have to follow to the same degree, even though they are the biggest polluters of the planet. The working men and women of West Virginia, in particular our dedicated coal miners and those who rely upon their success, deserve much better.”
Halting of Keystone XL Pipeline Hurts Development, Jobs
“That President Biden would halt the Keystone XL pipeline demonstrates a lack of commitment to American workers and our nation’s energy independence,” Attorney General Morrisey said.
“New oil and gas pipelines like Keystone XL are crucial to each state’s economic vitality and durability,” he continued. “Our nation is blessed with tremendous natural resources, and the construction of new pipelines will enable Appalachia to process the bountiful reserves of natural gas that West Virginia has only just begun to tap into.
“Shutting down pipeline construction does not bode well for West Virginia’s economy. Burdensome regulations increase our nation’s reliance on foreign oil, decrease good-paying jobs that put bread on the table for hundreds of thousands and increase energy costs for everyday Americans.
“By tapping the vast energy reserves linked to these pipelines, we can unlock our nation’s potential to provide for its citizens and lead the world in energy production.”
Oil and gas now account for more than half of domestic energy production, and for the first time since 1957, America produces more energy than it consumes. For instance, in West Virginia, new technology has tapped untold reserves of natural gas from shale deposits. This growth has brought considerable economic opportunities.
Potential Resurgence of Job-Killing Water, Air Policies
“We are concerned by news that President Biden will direct a wide-range review environmental and energy policies, and our team would oppose any wholesale effort to erase four years of progress with a return to years of overreach and burdensome regulation.
“Our office successfully blocked the Obama-era’s Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States rule, saving an untold number of jobs. We did not hesitate to act before. We will not again.
“We look forward to working with the Biden administration to find common ground to preserve the clean environment that everyone deserves, while doing so in a manner that saves jobs and coincides with the rule of law.”
Previously, the Attorney General challenged the so-called Clean Power Plan – the centerpiece of the nation’s involvement in the Paris agreement – on the day it was published, blocked its enforcement with an historic and unprecedented victory at the Supreme Court and continued to lead a broad coalition that led to its repeal, thus saving untold numbers of coal jobs.
