Gabe Vasquez: “Let me be clear. I support our energy economy. I stand by New Mexico's energy workers, who help fuel our economy. New…”

“Let me be clear. I support our energy economy. I stand by New Mexico's energy workers, who help fuel our economy. New Mexico's Second Congressional District is one of the top energy producing areas in the entire world. In fact, Lea County, in my district, produces more oil than any other county in the United States. About half of New Mexico's fossil fuel operations are on public lands, and royalties from the industry make up about a third of our State's annual budget. With an industry so large, there are a lot of good-paying jobs for rural New Mexicans. Congress is not debating a bill to support energy workers that are essential to my district. We aren't even debating ways to lower energy costs for Americans, no matter what name Republicans give this bill. This bill is about the same old thing, padding the pockets of executives at the cost of energy workers. Just last year, as you can see, when Americans saw gas prices as high as $5 per gallon at the pump, oil and gas companies made not millions, not billions, but trillions of dollars in profit. While my constituents were paying $100 to fill up their pickup truck, Exxon chiefs were making $55 billion in profits. My colleagues across the aisle want to make them even richer at our expense. In the Permian Basin, oil and gas production has increased nearly every year since 2013, and it is on track to reach new, even higher production records this year.…”