AND THAT’S MY RIFF.
JOINING ME NOW WE WELCOME BACK
SENATOR JOHN BARRASSO OF
WYOMING, SENATE GOP CONFERENCE
CHAIR.
SENATOR BARRASSO, YOU KNOW, I
ALMOST DON’T KNOW WHERE TO
START.
I THINK OF ALL THE THINGS,
SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS STORY
IS THE FACT THAT BIDENS HAVE
ESSENTIALLY TRANSFERRED WORLD
ENERGY POWER BACK TO THE SAUDIS
AND OPEC, WHICH NOW INCLUDES
RUSSIA.
I MEAN WORLD ENERGY POWER IS
REAL POWER, RIGHT?
IT IS POLITICAL POWER.
IT IS ECONOMIC POWER.
80% OF THE WORLD IS POWERED BY
FOSSIL FUELS AND THEY HAVE GIVEN
THE WHIP HAND BACK TO OPEC.
I THINK THAT MAY BE THE BIGGEST
SIN OF ALL.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS?
>> WE’RE SEEING HERE AMERICAN
WEAKNESS AT HOME AND ABROAD.
GAS PRICES GO UP.
YOU SAW IT TODAY OVER $6 A
GALLON IN LOS ANGELES.
JOE BIDEN AND THE DEMOCRATS ARE
GUILTY OF GROSS MISMANAGEMENT
AND NEGLIGENCE IN TERMS NOT JUST
OF ENERGY SECURITY, LARRY, BUT
ECONOMIC SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY.
I MEAN THEY HAVE UNDERMINED US
AS A NATION TAKING US FROM
ENERGY DOMINANCE TO ENERGY
DEPENDENCE.
THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
ON ELECTION DAY.
THEY NEED TO GO.
AND IT IS BECAUSE THEY WORSHIP
THE FALSE GOD OF CLIMATE.
THAT IS WHAT JOE BIDEN WENT
AFTER BY ATTACKING AMERICAN
ENERGY, DAY NUMBER ONE IN OFFICE
WITH KILLING KEYSTONE AND
STOPPING OIL AND GAS LEASING.
IT IS WHY JOE BIDEN HAD TO GO TO
SAUDI ARABIA IN THE FIRST PLACE
THIS SUMMER.
WELL HE GAVE THEM THE FIST BUMP,
AND YESTERDAY THEY GAVE HIM THE
FINGER.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS IS OUR
OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICAN ENERGY.
THAT IS THE ANSWER ON ALL OF
THIS BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A
PRESIDENT WHO IS VERY WEAK
ABROAD AND AT HOME AND HE HAS
BROUGHT IT TO HIM SELF BECAUSE
OF HIS POLICIES.
LARRY: YOU KNOW I SAW THAT THE
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL,
NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL, PUT
OUT A JOINT STATEMENT.
THEY SAID ALL OF THIS PROVES,
QUOTE, UNQUOTE, THAT IT’S TIME
TO RELY LESS AND LESS ON FOSSIL
FUELS.
I WOULD RECKON THAT YOU WILL
DRAW A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION ON
THIS, BUT I WANT TO ADD TO THIS,
OKAY, I MEAN THIS IS INSULT TO
INJURY, THE NEWS REPORT IN
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" TODAY
SAYS THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
CONTEMPLATING A COMPLETE 100%
BLOCK ON FEDERAL OFFSHORE
LEASING AND DRILLING.
SO I WOULD GUESS, SIR, THEY HAVE
LEARNED NOTHING BASICALLY FROM
THIS WHOLE SAUDI EXPERIENCE?
>> IF YOU, IF THE PRESIDENT
REALLY DID PUT AMERICA FIRST
WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS UNLEASH
AMERICAN ENERGY.
INSTEAD HE ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY
HE WAS GOING TO RELEASE
10 MILLION BARRELS FROM THE
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FROM
OUR EMERGENCY SOURCES.
I MEAN THEY ARE THERE FOR A REAL
EMERGENCY AND OVER THE LAST SIX
MONTHS HE HAS RELEASED OVER HALF
OF THE VOLUME THERE.
WE’RE DOWN TO A POINT WHERE WE
HAVE ONLY ABOUT 20 DAYS WORTH OF
EMERGENCY SUPPLIES.
WE’RE AT A 40-YEAR LOW.
HE HAS DONE IT IN AN EFFORT NOT
BECAUSE OF AN EMERGENCY BUT TO
TRY TO GET GASOLINE PRICES DOWN.
LARRY, WE’LL HAVE TO REPLACE
THIS AT SOME POINT.
AS YOU SAID EARLIER, I HEARD YOU
ON FOX NEWS, WE ARE BETWEEN A
MILLION, TWO MILLION BARRELS A
DAY LESS PRODUCTION NOW IN THE
UNITED STATES THAN WE SHOULD BE
RIGHT NOW AND IT IS BECAUSE OF
POLICIES THIS ADMINISTRATION.
IT IS TIME TO UNLEASH AMERICAN
ENERGY.
WE HAVE IT.
THE DEMOCRATS WANT TO KEEP IT IN
THE GROUND.
WE NEED TO REPLACE THEM AND TURN
THE ENTIRE CONGRESS, HOUSE AND
SENATE OVER TO THE REPUBLICANS
SO WE CAN GET THE JOB DONE.
LARRY: YOU KNOW JUST ON THOSE
NUMBERS, IT IS TRUE, LOOKING AT
THE ENERGY INFORMATION AGENCY,
WHATEVER IT IS CALLED IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, WE OUGHT
TO BE AT 14 MILLION BARRELS A
DAY.
THAT WAS THEIR ESTIMATE A COUPLE
YEARS AGO.
WE ARE LESS THAN
12 MILLION BARRELS A DAY.
ON TOP OF THAT, SENATOR BARRASSO
AS YOU KNOW, WE’RE A MILLION 1/2
GASOLINE BARRELS LESS THAN WHERE
WE SHOULD BE.
SO, WE’VE JUST ESSENTIALLY
HANDED THIS OVER TO THE SAUDIS.
AND TO OPEC AND TO RUSSIA.
I COME BACK TO YOUR POINT ON
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE.
THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT
ECONOMIC, ENERGY AND NATIONAL
SECURITY ISSUE.
I MEAN WE DON’T WANT TO GO BACK
TO THE STONE AGE WHEN THERE WAS
ARAB OIL EMBARGOES OR, YOU
REMEMBER, EVERY SINGLE OPEC
MEETING WAS LIFE AND DEATH, HOLD
YOUR BREATH, FINANCIAL MARKETS
AND THE WHOLE ECONOMY.
WE GOT OUT OF THAT.
DURING THE TRUMP YEARS, I WILL
BRAG ON IT, WE GOT OUT OF THAT
DURING THOSE YEARS BY BEING
INDEPENDENT AND DOMINANT.
BIDEN HAS GIVEN THAT BACK BUT HE
SEEMS, THIS IS THE HARDEST THING
FOR ME TO SWALLOW.
SEEMS HE AND HIS PEOPLE SEEMED
TO HAVE LEARNED NOTHING, SENATOR
BARRASSO, NOTHING.
HOW EASY TO TURN ON THE FOSSIL
FUEL SPIGOTS AGAIN AND PIPELINE
AND SO HOW EASY WOULD THAT BE?
>> THAT IS WHY THEY CALL ENERGY
THE MASTER RESOURCE T POWERS OUR
ECONOMY, IT POWERS OUR COUNTRY,
IT POWERS OUR MILITARY.
THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE
DONE.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE GET IT.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT.
THEY WANT ENERGY THAT IS
AFFORDABLE, AVAILABLE, AND
RELIABLE.
THAT IS NOT WHAT THE DEMOCRATS
WANT, NOT AT ALL.
THEY ARE SO FOCUSED ON RENEWABLE
ENERGY, REGARDLESS OF THE COST
AND REGARDLESS OF THE
CONSEQUENCES.
AND AS YOU TALKED ABOUT IN YOUR
OPENING MONOLOGUE, THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THIS, OF THEIR
POLICIES ARE YOU END UP GOING TO
IRAN OR GOING TO VENEZUELA,
GOING TO DICTATORS, GOING TO THE
AYATOLLAH, ASKING THEM, BEGGING
THEM FOR ENERGY FOR OIL.
WELL AS YOU POINT OUT, LARRY,
THEY DON’T DO IT WITH THE SAME
KIND OF VIRTUAL STEWARDSHIP WE
DO IT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AS YOU SAW FROM THE REPORTS
YESTERDAY, THIS WHITE HOUSE IS
PANICKED.
LARRY: I GUESS THEY ARE.
>> THEY ARE VERY, VERY WORRIED
ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING BUT THEY
DON’T SEEM TO WANT TO DO THE
RIGHT THING BECAUSE THEY
CONTINUE TO SABOTAGE WHAT YOU
AND I KNOW ARE THE GEOPOLITICAL
POWER, GREATEST POWER WE HAVE,
THE GREATEST POWER OF OUR
ECONOMIC ENGINE.
IT IS ENERGY.
WE NEED TO UNLEASH AMERICAN
ENERGY.
I THINK YOU HAVE JOHN HOEVEN ON
A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
HE SAID TAKE OFF THE HANDCUFFS.
THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
LARRY: RICK PERRY, YOU’RE RIGHT,
THAT IS WHAT SENATOR HOEVEN
SAID, A VERY SMART GUY, YOUR
COLLEAGUE AND MY GOOD FRIEND.
LAST NIGHT RICK PERRY SAID
ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING, JUST
OPEN UP THE PERMITTING FOR
HEAVEN’S SAKES, JUST OPEN UP THE
PERMITTING.
WHAT IS SO HARD ABOUT THAT?
AND I DON’T UNDERSTAND, SENATOR,
WHY YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE OR THE
OTHER?
IN OTHER WORDS, WHY DOES THIS
ADMINISTRATION INSIST THAT IN
ORDER TO HAVE GREENER ENERGY WE
CAN’T HAVE, CAN’T HAVE ANY
FOSSIL ENERGY?
I DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT.
I MEAN, I WOULD REGARD THAT AS A
STUPID POLICY.
YOU COULD HAVE BOTH, ALL THE
ABOVE, NUCLEAR, NATURAL GAS,
THOSE WOULD BE THE BASELINE
POWER SOURCES.
WHY, WHOEVER SAID IN ORDER TO
GET GREENER YOU HAVE TO ABOLISH,
ELIMINATE FOSSILS WHICH BY THE
WAY WILL DO GREAT HARM TO OUR
ECONOMY AS IT ALREADY HAS WITH
INFLATION AND RECESSION AND GIVE
THE SAUDIS AND OPEC AND RUSSIA
AND MAYBE VENEZUELA AND IRAN
MORE POWER?
WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE
EITHER/OR, SENATOR?
I DON’T GET THAT?
>> YOU KNOW I AM IN WYOMING
ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
I WOULD SAY WITH THE PEOPLE OF
WYOMING, WE NEED IT ALL, THE
OIL, THE GAS, THE COAL, URANIUM
FOR NUCLEAR POWER, WIND, SOLAR,
WE NEED IT ALL.
WE ALL WANT TO MAKE ENERGY CLEAN
AS WE CAN, FAST AS WE CAN.
DO IT IN WAYS THAT DON’T RAISE
COSTS FOR THE AMERICAN FAMILIES.
SO WE NEED ENERGY SECURITY, WE
NEED ECONOMIC STRENGTH.
WE NEED ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP, NOBODY DOES IT
BETTER THAN THE UNITED STATES.
BUT WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION
AND DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE, IN
THE SENATE WHO VOTE IN LOCKSTEP
ON THIS.
THEY DON’T BELIEVE IT.
BUT THIS IS WHAT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
THIS IS A BIG PART OF WHAT THIS
ELECTION IS GOING TO BE ABOUT
COME NOVEMBER, WHY I THINK IT IS
SO CRITICAL THAT REPUBLICANS
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE, TAKE BACK
THE SENATE AND THROW THE BUMS
OUT.
LARRY: ONE LAST THING, SENATOR
BARASSO, LAST MOMENTS HERE, I’M
LISTENING TO THE RETURN OF THESE
HALF-BAKED IDEAS FROM LEFT-WING
DEMOCRATS IN THE MAIN THAT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO
SUE OPEC OR WE’RE GOING TO TAKE
ALL THE SAUDI WEAPONS AWAY WOULD
TURN THEM EVEN FURTHER TOWARDS
RUSSIA, THINGS OF THAT SORT.
IN OTHER WORDS ANYTHING BUT GO
BACK TO FOSSIL FUELS.
IS ANY OF THIS STUFF SERIOUS?
IT NEVER HAS BEEN IN THE PAST
BUT I WONDER WHAT YOU’RE
THINKING.
I’M SURE YOU SAW THE SAME
REPORTS IN THE PAPERS TODAY.
>> THAT IS NOT GOING TO GO
ANYWHERE, LARRY.
WE NEED AMERICAN ENERGY.
WE IT HERE.
WE HAVE IT IN THE GROUND.
THE ADMINISTRATION IS DETERMINED
TO KEEP IT IN THE GROUND.
IT IS THE WRONG APPROACH FOR
AMERICA.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW BETTER,
DESERVE BETTER THAN WHAT WE’VE