Last week, Democrats advanced their partisan COVID-relief package without any meaningful attempts to engage Republicans. Nine of the twelve committees that received reconciliation instructions held hybrid markups where Republicans offered thoughtful amendments primarily focused on providing targeted assistance to ensure it goes to the people who need it most.
Several Republicans offered amendments to push back against President Biden’s anti-American energy agenda and to support struggling energy workers whose livelihoods have been destroyed by President Biden’s assault on American energy production. Democrats rejected virtually every amendment on a party line vote.
Meanwhile, an unprecedented winter storm has left millions without power across the South as they face the coldest temperatures in decades. In Texas alone, more than 4 million customers still had no electricity Tuesday morning. Customers are facing rolling blackouts and life-threatening conditions due to yet another rare event – a multi-day, state-wide winter freeze in Texas—that will continue to inhibit energy supply this week. Even natural gas and coal, which historically are expected to provide the vast majority of power to the state, were unable to live up to the significant demands due to cold weather and scheduled maintenance that took plants offline.
This placed the spotlight on another problem – Texas’s increasing reliance on windmills to generate electricity has shown that when renewables cannot reliably produce the small amount of energy that they’re expected to, households across the country suffer. Unfortunately, what has happened in Texas offers a prelude to the radical energy agenda that President Biden supports, including top-down government mandates and an abandonment of a low-cost, reliable, market-driven energy economy. Instead, President Biden must work with Republicans to develop an all-of-the-above energy strategy that keeps Americans safe.
This Week’s HEAT Member Highlights:

House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), and over 100 House Republicans sent a letter to President Biden urging him to rescind his oil and gas leasing moratorium due to the devastating impacts this ill-conceived policy will have on a major sector of our economy while millions of Americans are unemployed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Republican Members of the Texas delegation sent a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott encouraging Texas’ efforts to combat federal overreach that is threatening the energy industry. The letter was signed by Texas Reps. Chip Roy, Ronny Jackson, August Pfluger, Jodey Arrington, Dan Crenshaw, Randy Weber, Louie Gohmert, Michael Cloud, Michael McCaul, Lance Gooden, Brian Babin, Roger Williams, and Pat Fallon.
Headlines:
- Displaced Keystone Pipeline and oil field workers worry Biden administration will ‘ruin us’ (Fox News)
- House Republicans tell Texas to continue fighting Biden’s federal overreach (The Blaze)
- More Than 100 Republicans To Biden: Reverse ‘Devastating’ Climate Executive Order (The Daily Wire)
- August Pfluger back in Midland to fight for the oil and gas industry (NewsWest9)
- Biden’s Keystone XL pipeline cancellation is gut punch to small businesses (Fox News)
- Rep. Bob Latta: Let’s prioritize jobs, economics and sound policies (The Courier)
- Rep. Fred Keller: Thanks to Biden’s attacks, America’s energy independence hangs in the balance (The Washington Times)
- Rep. August Pfluger: Biden’s liberal wish list threatens TX-11 jobs, national security (Brownwood Bulletin)
- A Deep Green Freeze (WSJ Editorial Board)
- This Blizzard Exposes The Perils Of Attempting To ‘Electrify Everything’ (Forbes)
- Tucker Carlson: The great Texas climate catastrophe is heading your way (Fox News)
🔥House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) calls out President Biden’s false promises.