Cassidy, President-elect Trump, Energy Nominee Chris Wright “Very Aligned” on Energy Agenda

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today questioned President Trump-elect's nominee for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary, Chris Wright, at his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee. Cassidy and Wright had a positive exchange about strengthening our national security by unleashing the abundance of American energy, holding foreign advisories accountable, and bringing prosperity back for American energy and American workers. Cassidy released the following statement after today's hearing:

"[A]s we offshore [carbon emissions], we offshore the jobs. And that prosperity we are trying to build for working Americans we lose to a working Chinese. Now they don't enforce environmental regulations, so their SO_x, NO_x, and [other pollutants] blow over on us when we are trying to do it right, and they use it for a competitive advantage," said Dr. Cassidy. "I think you bring a sophistication to this discussion that we just need."

Wright signaled that Cassidy is in lockstep with the Trump administration on these issues, especially when presenting his Foreign Pollution Fee Act.

"Thank you for the great dialogue we had about all these issues-about energy, about bettering lives, about trade practices, about prosperity for Americans," said DOE Secretary nominee Wright. "I think yourself, and I, and President-elect Trump are very aligned on all those. And I think you have a creative idea about how do we address some of these asymmetries that have developed."

Background

Last month, Cassidy and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released a new discussion draft of their Foreign Pollution Fee Act to level the playing field with Chinese manufacturing and expand American production for public comment. In addition, the Steel Manufacturers Association, which represents 70 percent of the nation's steel production, called on President-elect Trump and Congress to institute a foreign pollution fee.

The Foreign Pollution Fee Act was a key topic at Cassidy's Louisiana Energy Security Summit. The summit featured ten panels that explored protecting U.S. interests from unfair trade practices, Louisiana's low-emission manufacturing advantage, and the role of natural gas in strengthening U.S. geopolitical influence. Panelists included presidents and CEOs from Entergy, First Solar, Buzzi UnicemUSA, Orsted, and Aluminum Technologies, former Trump administration officials, and leaders from Louisiana trade associations and major energy and Fortune 500 companies.

In September, he released the 3^rd episode of Bill on the Hill, where he highlights his Foreign Pollution Fee Act and discusses China's growing economy and military coming at the expense of the American worker. After hearing fellow Americans share their concerns, Cassidy presented his plan to address the nexus between economic development, national security, and the environment. His Foreign Pollution Fee Act would even the playing field while holding China accountable.

He penned editorials in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Times, and jointly in the USA Today Network discussing the geopolitical threat that China poses to U.S. global standing. Cassidy also joined Greta Van Susteren on Newsmax to discuss his foreign pollution fee, noting the competitive advantage China receives from intentionally ignoring environmental standards.

In 2023, the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to pursue an industrial manufacturing and trade policy to counter competition from China. Learn more here.

In 2022, Cassidy released a landmark energy policy outline in response to the Biden-Harris administration's assault on domestic energy. The outline details how we can successfully reset U.S. energy policy, including Cassidy's plan for an Energy Operation Warp Speed to cut permitting red tape and unleash domestic energy and manufacturing. Cassidy led Republican colleagues in opposition to a domestic carbon tax and introduced the first comprehensive judicial reform for permitting bill. He also pushed back on disastrous proposals from the Biden administration to limit development in the Outer Continental Shelf with the introduction of the WHALE Act and the Offshore Energy Security Act of 2023.

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