Jody Hice: “I thank my friend for yielding his time. Mr. Speaker, we are all seeing gas prices soar--35 percent since January, since…”

“I thank my friend for yielding his time. Mr. Speaker, we are all seeing gas prices soar--35 percent since January, since this administration took office. Whereas, what this administration inherited, under President Trump, was low and affordable energy costs and our Nation had actually achieved energy independence. There was record low unemployment numbers across all demographics. And prior to COVID, the average hourly wage earnings rose at the fastest rate in decades. So what has changed? Well, what has changed is a reversal of those policies that work. Unfortunately, President Biden has proved that he is far more concerned with appeasing the fringe left-wing environmental extremists in his party than he is in helping the average American by lowering energy costs and creating good-paying jobs. So with prices continuing to soar and massive labor shortages, it only makes sense that we should be doing the right kinds of things to get people back to work. And make no mistake, Biden's reckless energy policies have consequences. I know I hear all the time from veterans in my district who literally are having to make the choice between driving 45-plus miles to a veteran's clinic or trying to have enough money to survive. However, on day one, President Biden celebrated the canceling of the Keystone Pipeline and eliminated tens of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars for our economy.…”