Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) on Wednesday was critical of President Joe Biden's actions on the Paris Climate Accords and the Keystone Pipeline.
He said, “President Biden’s decision to rejoin the failed Paris Climate Accords props up our adversaries at the expense of American workers. This agreement will cost thousands of jobs and place our economy on its heels at a time when our focus should be on policies that grow jobs.
It does nothing to actually enforce carbon emission reductions, nor does it hold accountable the world’s biggest polluter – China.
"Since withdrawing from the agreement, the United States has achieved a significant decline in American carbon emissions, and we continue to have some of the cleanest air and water in the world. Our global adversaries benefit when the United States burdens itself with policies that our competitors ignore. Special interests in Washington continue to be obsessed with these counterproductive accords, but they are not the answer.”
Senator Hagerty also said, “Today’s order halting construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline undercuts hard-won American energy independence and will significantly harm our national security. Our adversaries in China, Iran, and Russia must be thrilled that the United States is damaging its own prosperity and pushing itself back to a reliance on foreign sources of energy.
"The decision to halt this project – one that has been studied more than any other – will eliminate thousands of American jobs and result in rising energy costs, hurting struggling American families most. Our economic security and our national security are at stake with this decision. I strongly encourage the Biden Administration to reconsider.”
Senator Hagerty said also, "The legislative proposal to grant amnesty and a path to citizenship to those who have come here illegally, and the executive action today to halt construction of the border wall pose significant security risks, encourage uncontrolled immigration, and undermine opportunities for American workers.
"These proposals inspire lawlessness, enable the flow of illegal drugs and human trafficking, and threaten Tennessee communities already hurting due to the ongoing pandemic. Our priorities must be to continue to secure our border, strengthen our legal immigration system, and protect jobs for hardworking Americans.”