Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered opening remarks at today’s Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials Subcommittee hearing titled: “Exposing the Environmental, Human Rights, and National Security Risks of the Biden Administration’s Rush to Green Policies.”

Excerpts and highlights below:

AMERICA’S ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY LEADERSHIP TO REDUCE EMISSIONS

“Thank you, Chair Johnson, for holding this important hearing to expose the risks of the Biden administration’s rush to green agenda.

“America has led the world in reducing emissions while having the highest environmental and labor standards in the world and that is the record we want to build upon.

“This hearing is about having an honest conversation on how the rushed agenda of the Biden administration poses serious environmental risks because it empowers the world’s dirtiest polluter, China, makes America dependent on supply chains that use slave and child labor, increases poverty, and threatens our national security.”

BIDEN’S WAR ON AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE ENERGY

“Since Day 1 in office, President Biden has waged war on the affordability and availability of American manufacturing and energy.

“It began with the cancelation of the Keystone XL pipeline, the ‘green lighting’ of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and the moratorium on energy production on federal lands.

“Those early decisions strengthened OPEC, including Russia, undermining American energy security as Russia attacked Ukraine.

“It has also increased our reliance on our adversaries, like China.

“The President has ordered agencies to slow-walk permits to modernize natural gas infrastructure which would expand U.S. LNG exports despite record high energy prices for Americans and dangerous supply shortages in Europe.

“Today, the fingerprints of this rush to green agenda can be found on virtually every energy and environmental policy and initiative launched by the administration.

“This administration’s goal is 100% wind and solar, and 100% EVs. This radical and aggressive agenda rewards environmental special interests at the expense of reliable and affordable energy for the American people.

“Look no further than California as the example. Just one week after announcing his plans to ban gas cars and force people to buy EVs, Governor Newsom pleaded with people not to charge their cars to prevent energy blackouts.”

ENVIRONMENTAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS

“The Biden administration is attempting to force an unrealistic, expensive transition on the American people, from the cars that we drive to the stoves we use to feed our families.

“This administration is divorced from reality for what this means for America’s future.

“They’re downplaying important questions about the environmental, human rights, and national security risks behind rushing to deploy massive amounts of wind, solar, and battery energy.

“I am also concerned that many of these decisions are empowering Beijing and the CCP’s anti-America campaign.

“China controls more than 90% of the critical minerals that are used to make wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries for electric vehicles and grid storage.

“China pollutes more than any other major nation. It has one of the worst environmental and human rights records, which permeates throughout its supply chains.

“China is committing genocide and forcing millions of ethnic minority Muslims into slave labor. China controls mineral mines in countries like the Congo, where children are forced to work in inhumane conditions.

“And of course, China is one of our greatest geopolitical adversaries.

“President Biden has opened the door to allow China to undermine our energy security.

“Throwing hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and tax credits at renewable technologies and EVs is not going to change this reality and will only further empower China.

“This must be reversed, which is why Republicans plan to keep building off our work on HR 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act.”

A CROSSROADS FOR OUR ENERGY FUTURE

“America is at a crossroads.

“We can choose to follow the path of economic growth, human rights, energy security, prosperity, and embrace American energy dominance and innovation to reduce emissions or we can continue down this path of more reliance on China and less energy affordability and reliability for Americans.

“This latter path won’t reduce emissions and sacrifices American values to achieve a political goal.

“It will result in an over-reliance upon wind, solar, and batteries that will increase pollution and require more land for energy production, increase our dependence upon critical minerals from nations with weaker environmental and human rights standards, and strengthen China while compromising America’s energy security and independence.

“The choices we make don’t just affect this generation. They are about building a stronger future for our children and grandchildren for decades to come.”