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Democrats in U.S. drilling states push back against Biden oil remarks

Published 10/23/2020, 05:26 PM
Updated 10/23/2020, 05:30 PM
© Reuters. Final 2020 U.S. presidential campaign debate in Nashville

© Reuters. Final 2020 U.S. presidential campaign debate in Nashville

By Nichola Groom

(Reuters) - Democratic candidates in oil drilling states were quick to distance themselves on Friday from comments by their party's presidential candidate, Joe Biden, that indicated he would move the United States away from a reliance on oil.

From Texas to Montana, Democrats locked in tight congressional races in Nov. 3's general election took to Twitter to affirm their support for the fossil fuel industries and workers in their states.

"I'll always stand up to my party when it's out of touch with our Montana way of life," Governor Steve Bullock, who is running for U.S. Senate, tweeted on Friday.

President Donald Trump, who trails Biden in national opinion polls, accused his rival in their final presidential debate on Thursday of planning to destroy the oil industry, leading the former vice president to respond that he did believe the country should eventually replace oil with solar, wind and other forms of non-polluting power.

"I would transition from the oil industry, yes," Biden said.

"He is going to destroy the oil industry," Trump said. "Will you remember that Texas? Will you remember that Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Ohio?"

After the debate, Biden told reporters he was referring to a plan to stop subsidizing fossil fuels: "... they’re not going to lose their jobs. Besides, a lot more jobs are going to be created in other alternatives.”

Trump's campaign seized on Biden's remarks, promoting a new advertisement on Friday that said thousands of drilling jobs were at stake in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

"I disagree with VP Biden's statement tonight," Democratic Representative Xochitl Torres Small, whose district includes portions of New Mexico's oil-rich Permian basin, tweeted after the debate, saying the country should not "demonize a single industry."

Polls show Torres Small in a tight race against Republican opponent Yvette Herrell, who she narrowly unseated in 2018.

Torres Small said she was willing to break with her party on the issue, a sentiment echoed by Bullock, who briefly sought the Democratic presidential nomination himself, and U.S. Representative Kendra Horn of Oklahoma.

U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher, a Democrat running for re-election in Houston, the capital of the U.S. oil industry, said in a statement that Biden's comments "fail to address the complexity of our energy needs and plan for our future."

Biden says his $2 trillion plan to combat climate change through investment in clean energy will create millions of jobs, a stark contrast to Trump administration policies that promote fossil fuel development and play down the threat of climate change.

Nationally, Biden's plan enjoys the support of two-thirds of voters, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll this month. But in states where the oil industry is a major employer, many voters are skeptical of a move away from fossil fuels.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris said Trump was blowing her running mate's comments out of proportion.

© Reuters. Final 2020 U.S. presidential campaign debate in Nashville

"The president likes to put everything out of context," the California senator said at a campaign stop in Atlanta.

Latest comments

False promises anyway. Either we produce oil (contributing to the economy, national security), or we buy it, either way a necessity. All these "green" energies still require mining, power grids, massive amounts of land, and destroy the natural habitats of that land. Did you know large windmill farms actually have a measurable effect on natural wind patterns... lets see how that goes in the future when there are millions more.
Biden, Clinton, Hillary and Obama are the corruption rectangle, the biggest cover up in history, using the the name of leftism and globalization to capture the mountain of fortune at the expense of weakening America for decades and loads of human lifes get killed and slaughtered !
Only LIARS have to rephrase what they ssid!!!! Bidens a CHARLATAN. And he only want to tickle your chalallyy 🧙‍♂️
Ask California how that is working for them. They removed fossil fuels from their grid. Now they have people calling customers to see if they are using high amperage items during peak times. In addition, they have rolling blackouts. Guess what wind turbines need to operate? Lubricants from fossel fuel. How do they get turbines into location? Trains, which use diesel. Large trucks and cranes that use diesel. The dirty secret on wind turbines is that they are made of steel. Most steel in the world is made in basic oxygen furnaces, & most of those furnaces use coal as their heat source. Most wind turbines are made in Germany & China. To make plexiglass to put in restaurants, per Joe Biden's comment, you need oil. That doesn't take in effect all of tbe other related industries.Oh yea, how does Biden plan to charge all of those charging stations?
The democrats want laws to save the earth. Trump made the point it's other countries that are polluting. He asked Biden what he was going to do about that since the USA has the lowest carbon emissions, best water, and best air. Is the USA now becoming an environmental policeman for the world? Where's the savvy that knows the free market will adjust to doing what's right? Americans are smart! They will spend their dollars on environmentally safe products on their own. They don't need the government to tell them to do so by passing a law. Can't we leave people free to wear masks, buy electric cars, and install solar panels if they want to without making these options the law? You see, that's what the Dems are all about. So busy figuring out what laws they can create to make things better without knowing it's freedom that works, not government intervention! Freedom is what birthed the world's largest economy. Americans will opt to remain free, and be left alone. Trump. (JMO)
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Destroying another US industry is dems favorite business. Also, do not count on US oil being replaced by “green” sources. It would be replaced, under dems, with oil bought from Saudis and Russians, while $4 gas will be explained by fake media as “big oil collusion”.
You don't have to be a visionary to see that fossil fuel has no future... the future is green electric power... we can jump on the rrain or miss it... up to you voters!
What do you propose as a bridge fuel?  Obviously doing away with fossil fuels is going to happen much faster than we can deploy renewables.
let me know how well those energy efficient light bulbs have been working out for you? They supposedly save energy and last 30 years. LOL. My experience has been they cost 3 times as much and last have as long. This equates to 6 times the price of old school light bulbs. And the kicker is they have some kind of gas inside that cannot be recycled. BIG SCAM! Crony Capitalism!
Jan, ask California how that is working for them. They removed fossil fuels from their grid. Now they have people calling customers to see if they are using high amperage items during peak times. In addition, they have rolling blackouts.Guess what wind turbines need to operate? Lubricants from fossel fuel. How do they get turbines into location? Trains, which use diesel. Large trucks and cranes that use diesel. The dirty secret on wind turbines is that they are made of steel. Most steel in the world is made in basic oxygen furnaces, & most of those furnaces use coal as their heat source. Most wind turbines are made in Germany & China. To make plexiglass to put in restaurants, per Joe Biden's comment, you need oil. That doesn't take in effect all of tbe other related industries..
at the end of the day Dems want to destroy everything. look at NY, Chicago, and Cali for proof.
Found the bot
Fossil fuel industry will be gone soon no matter who gets elected. It will not end during their presidency
The scramble to pick up the pieces as Biden puts the party in shambles... what... a... trainwreck
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