Press Releases

U.S. Congressman Garret Graves predicts a second surge in gasoline and electricity prices because of Russia's "veiled" invasion of Ukraine. Graves explains why this event will undermine Israeli security in the Middle East, bolster Chinese-Russian leverage and cost all Americans more to drive, heat/cool homes and the cost of making groceries. The United States has also increased its dependence on Russian oil to the tune of an estimated $22 million every single day over the last year. Effectively, these flawed energy strategies have empowered Russia.

Click here to read the letter or see below.

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Dear President Biden:

The impact of Russian aggression in Ukraine and corresponding sanctions will not be limited to Vladimir Putin, oligarchs, and Ukrainian and Russian citizens. Gasoline prices, as well as electricity costs for all Americans, will surge – impacting American families' pocketbooks in all 50 states. Further, the situation in Ukraine is likely going to put pressure on your administration to accept a bad deal with Iran and its nuclear ambitions as well as strengthen ties between Russia and China. There is a way out of this mess.

Over the last year, we have seen record increases in gasoline and electricity costs coupled with inflation. Currently, Russia is one of the largest net exporters of oil and gas in the world. Ukraine-related sanctions imposed by the United States, European countries, and others will cut off Russian energy supplies to some of the world's largest markets – resulting in surging energy prices. This will result in three more adverse outcomes:

1. Russia will divert its sanctioned/stranded energy to China – further strengthening Russian-Chinese relations and dependence;
2. To temper global supply shortages, your Administration will be under extraordinary pressure to allow Iranian oil access to global markets -- thereby, agreeing to a bad nuclear proliferation agreement with Iran and undermining Israeli security in the Middle East; and
3. There will be calls for, once again, tapping our Strategic Petroleum Reserves.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has projected that global energy demand will increase nearly 50 percent in the next 28 years. A diverse portfolio of truly "all of the above energy sources" is needed urgently. We need every single source of energy available, and we need it as soon as possible. Rather than proactively preparing for this growing global demand, your energy advisors have opposed virtually all energy sources – compounding the Russian-Ukraine situation and effectively forcing the three outcomes above.

You have virtually no options to stop the immediate energy price increases, but quick actions on your part can temper sustained high energy prices and over the long-term give the United States more tools and flexibility in dealing with Russia and other bad actors around the globe. Rather than opposing domestic energy production in the Gulf of Mexico and onshore, opposing the production and processing of critical minerals in the United States, or implementing measures to block access to capital for conventional energy projects, it is in America's interest to take an entirely different approach:

1. Remove administrative obstacles to exploring and producing domestic energy supplies – letting American workers produce American energy;
2. Rescind your objections to producing domestic rare earths and critical minerals required for renewable energy production and preventing reliance on China for these resources;
3. Stop efforts by your financial agencies and institutions to restrict access to capital for conventional energy projects through ESG regulatory expansion;
4. Implement an energy transportation system that allows energy to be safely transported to those states in greatest need rather than blocking pipeline and other infrastructure projects designed to improve energy access; and
5. Develop a modernized energy reserve strategy that will allow the United States to utilize all of her resources to temper price spikes and volatility caused by conflicts and the cartel-like actions of OPEC-plus nations. This should include the role of renewable sources, next generation nuclear, a refined product reserve and other solutions.

Continuing to double and triple down on the energy policies of the last year will only thrust more and more Americans into energy poverty, prevent job opportunities, hurt American families, and increase the global leverage of China and Russia on the United States and the world. Tragically, your policies will lead to increased global emissions and undermine America's leadership in this space.

America's energy production is some of the most efficient in the world and our citizens have proven that we are the most innovative and hardest working. We can produce energy and ensure a healthy planet for generations to come. Continuing to block and obstruct a cohesive energy strategy will only result in higher gas prices, higher prices to heat and cool our homes, greater dependence on foreign energy, more inflation, and the continued trajectory of higher emissions that we've seen under your administration.

I stand ready to work with you to ensure Americans are in charge of America's energy future.

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