PRICE OF BRENT AT $102.53.
OFF ABOUT 5% ON EACH.
AMERICANS’ WALLETS HIT HARD BY
OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL
WHILE WAR IS WAGING -- RAGING IN
UKRAINE.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JEN
PSAKI IS INSISTING INCREASING
U.S. PRODUCTION IS NOT THE
SOLUTION.
SHE CLAIMS THE U.S. INSTEAD
NEEDS TO SWITCH TO RENEWABLE
ENERGY.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS WEST
VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL
PATRICK MORRISSEY.
T GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS
MORNING,S THANK AS VERY MUCH.
CERTAINLY, IN THE POSITION OF
WAR WE ARE FEELING THE IMPACT OF
FOREIGN OIL RATHER THAN HOME
PRODUCTION.
YOUR REACTION.
>> WELL, MARIA, FIRST OF ALL,
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON THIS
REALLY IMPORTANT DAY.
WE’RE ABOUT TO GET OVER TO THE
U.S. SUPREME COURT.
I KNOW WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT,
BUT LET’S FOCUS ON UKRAINE FOR
JUST A MOMENT.
A LOT OF THE U.S.’ POSITION
RIGHT NOW WAS AVOIDABLE.
IF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
DOESN’T TRY TO IMMEDIATELY
UNDERMINE AMERICAN ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE BY IMMEDIATELY
TRYING TO CLOSE DOWN KEYSTONE,
BY DOING THE SOCIAL COST TO
CARBON, THE MORATORIUM ON OIL,
GAS, COAL EXPLORATION ON FEDERAL
LANDS, THEIR CLIMATE POLICY, DO
YOU KNOW HOW MUCH STRONGER WE’D
BE TO DEAL WITH RUSSIA RIGHT
NOW?
IT WOULD BE NIGHT AND DAY.
AMERICA NEEDS ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY TO
POSITION OURSELVES ON THE GLOBAL
STAGE.
BIDEN’S BEEN UNDERMINING IT
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THAT’S THE QUICKEST WAY TO GET
LEVERAGE AND TO PUSH BACK ON
THIS.
WE DON’T NEED OIL FROM RUSSIA.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
AMERICA CAN GENERATE THE ENERGY
NEEDS FOR ITS FUTURE.
MARIA: AND THIS IS, AND THIS IS
A BIG PART OF THE WEST VIRGINIA
GROWTH STORY, A.G., I MEAN, YOU
COULD HAVE JOB CREATION SOAR IN
WEST VIRGINIA IF, IN FACT, YOU
GET THOSE DRILLING MECHANISMS
WORKING AGAIN.
>> WELL, LOOK, I THINK THAT IF
YOU LOOK AT THE FUTURE WEST
VIRGINIA, WE WANT TO GROW ON THE
STRENGTH OF A LOT OF OUR ENERGY
RESOURCES.
OBVIOUSLY, COAL WILL ALWAYS PLAY
AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN TERMS OF
BASE LOAD FUEL, ITS RELIABILITY,
ITS SECURITY.
BUT NATURAL GAS HAD SUCH
INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT’S
GOING ON ESPECIALLY IN THE
NORTHERN PART OF OUR STATE, WE
HAVE A CHANCE TO REALLY SOAR TO
MOVE UP TO THAT NEXT LEVEL.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE A
REAL FIGHT ON OUR HANDS WITH THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
THEY’RE LOOKING AT EVERY
OPPORTUNITY TO CURTAIL THOSE
OPPORTUNITIES EVEN THOUGH WE
KNOW THAT IT COULD LEAD E TO A
BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR
CITIZENS.
MARIA: RIGHT.
SO, A.G., THE SUPREME COURT IS
HEARING ARGUMENTS TODAY ON A
HIGH STAKES CASE DETERMINING THE
SCOPE OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT’S CLIMATE POWER.
YOU’RE LEADING THE STATES, A
GROUP OF STATES SEEKING TO LIMIT
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY’S ABILITY TO IMPOSE NEW
LIMITS ON GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS FROM POWER PLANTS.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
SO THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT
CASE, OBVIOUSLY, FROM AN ENERGY
AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE
BUT PROBABLY EVEN MORE SO FROM
AN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
PERSPECTIVE.
IT’S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST
SEPARATION OF POWERS CASES THAT
WE’VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS.
ASK HERE’S WHAT IT’S ABOUT. --
AND AND HERE’S WHAT IT’S ABOUT.
WE THINK ANYTIME THERE’S A MAJOR
ISSUE OR QUESTION FACING THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC AND YOU HAVE TO
REACH A DECISION AS TO WHO HAS
THE AUTHORITY TO ACT, WHEN IT’S
A MAJOR QUESTION OF THE DAY AS A
MAJOR POLITICAL, MAJOR SOCIAL,
MAJOR ECONOMIC, CONGRESS NEEDS
TO STEP IN AND TAKE ACTION AND
MAKE THE DECISION.
NOT UNACCOUNTABLE BUREAUCRATS.
WE’LL BE ARGUING THAT TODAY.
WEST VIRGINIA, THE EPA A, WE
DON’T THINK THAT THE EPA HAS THE
UNILATERAL ABILITY TO
DECARBONIZE OUR COUNTRY.
WE KNOW THERE’S ONLY A LIMITED
AMOUNT OF AUTHORITY THAT THE EPA
POSSESSES WITH RESPECT TO THESE
CARBON EMISSION, SO WE WANT TO
REIN THEM IN.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
REIN IN FEDERAL OVERREACH.
MARIA: YEAH.
WELL, THE STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN
FIGHTING -- THE STATESES HAVE
BEEN FIGHTING THE EPA’S PLAN TO
REGULATE EMISSIONS SINCE THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, AND THE
ABILITY TO DO SO IS ESSENTIAL TO
BIDEN’S CLIMATE AGENDA.
I KNOW YOU’RE ARGUING THIS CASE
BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT, BUT
THERE ARE OTHER CASES WHERE
WE’RE LOOKING AT THE
ADMINISTRATION PUT CLIMATE
AGENDA FIRST, EVEN IN THE
PRESIDENT’S NOMINATIONS IN THE
BANKING SECTOR.
LOOK AT WHO HE’S NOMINATING TO
BE THE OVERSEER OF ALL THE
BANKS, A WOMAN WHO IN THE PAST
HAS SAID, HAS SAID BANKS SHOULD
NOT LEND TO FOSSIL FUEL
COMPANIES.
>> LOOK, THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS ADMINISTRATIVE
STATE RUN AMOK.
WE’VE MERV SEEN IT GROW TO
THIS -- NEVER SEEN IT GROW TO
THIS LENGTH, AND WE KNOW THEY’VE
BEEN ISSUING ONE UNLAWFUL
REGULATION AFTER ANOTHER.
THAT’S WHY THE REPUBLICAN
ATTORNEYS GENERAL HAVE HAD MANY
MAJOR WINS AGAINST BIDEN’S
OVERREACH, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP
GOING BECAUSE WE KNOW AS
CONGRESS’ MAJORITY WILL LIKELY
FLIP SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER, BIDEN
MAY FEEL THAT HE CAN ONLY RESORT
TO THE PEN.
THIS CASE AND OTHERS LIKE IT ARE
CRITICAL TO REALLY HOLDING BACK
THAT RAFT OF FEDERAL OVERREACH
THAT’S UNDOUBTEDLY GOING TO COME
OUR WAY.
AND IT WILL NOT ONLY AFFECT
AMERICAN ENERGY, IT’LL AFFECT
THESE MANDATE QUESTIONS, IT’LL
AFFECT THE FINANCIAL SERVICES
SYSTEM, THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET ALL
THIS STUFF DONE RIGHT, BUT WE’VE
NEVER SEEN SOMETHING THIS
AGGRESSIVE.
THAT’S WHY WE HAVE TO STEP UP
AND TAKE ACTION.
MARIA: A.G. MORRISSEY, YOU MAKE
SUCH A GREAT POINT IN TERMS OF
THE PRESIDENT USING THE PEN.
WE’VE ALREADY SEEN EXECUTIVE
ORDERS THAT HAVE PUT IN PLACE
NEW FEE STRUCTURES FOR ANY
COMPANY THAT GOES AGAINST THE
CLIMATE AGENDA.
HOW SIGNIFICANT HAS THAT BEEN IN
TERMS OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS
INSTITUTING NEW FEES AND COSTS
FOR CORPORATE AMERICA AS THIS
ADMINISTRATION PUTS ITS CLIMATE
AGENDA FORTH?
>> WELL, I THINK IT’S BEEN A
HUGE PROBLEM AND, IN FACT, ONE
OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES THAT
WE’VE SEEN BETWEEN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS THE VOLUME OF
REGULATIONS THAT ARE NOW ON THE
TABLE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS CORRECT, HE
WANTED TO DRAMATICALLY REDUCE
THE NUMBER OF REGULATIONS ON THE
BOOKS THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY
PROVIDE GREATER AUTONOMY AND
FREEDOM FOR THESE COMPANIES AND
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
BIDEN’S DOING THE EXACT
OPPOSITE.
AND IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN THAT.
MARIA: YEAH.
>> HE’S LOOKING TO HAVE MISSION
CREEP SO IF THERE’S A
TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY THAT THE
EPA OPERATES, HE WANTS THE
FEDERAL RESERVE TO GET OF
INVOLVED, HHS INVOLVED, THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION.
THAT’S NOT HOW OUR
CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM WORKS.
THAT’S WHY WE’RE FIGHTING BACK.
MARIA: WOW.
ALL RIGHT.
WE’LL BE WATCHING THE FIGHT.