“Western Republicans have laid out a clear path to energy security and job creation.”
Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senate Western Caucus Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the Western Economic Security Today (WEST) Act.
The WEST Act, which Barrasso recently introduced with Senate Western Caucus Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), incorporates several pieces of legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. They tackle critical issues such as encouraging energy exploration and production, and removing unnecessary Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
The House passed bills were all featured in the Western Caucus Jobs Frontier Report that was jointly issued by the Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses last fall.
Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks are below:
“Throughout Senator Hatch’s distinguished career, he has served this Senate and this nation in a number of major leadership capacities.
“I am most grateful for his ongoing leadership and the position that he has taken in the Senate
Western Caucus that of being chairman of the caucus’ subcommittee on public lands.
“Senator Hatch along with Senator Moran and I have laid out a clear path to energy security and job creation. The bill is called the Western Economic Security Today Act—or the WEST Act.
“President Obama told Congress that he would, ‘keep trying every new idea that works,’ he said. He went on to say that he would listen to every good proposal no matter which party comes up with it.
“Well, western Republicans last year laid out a clear path to energy security and job creation for the western United States and for the country. It is called the Jobs Frontier Report: Breaking Down Washington’s Barriers to America’s Red, White, and Blue Jobs. President Obama should listen to and embrace the findings in this report.
“The House of Representatives has passed key pieces of legislation over the past year from this Jobs Frontier report. These are pieces of legislation that will begin to generate quality jobs and increase U.S. energy production.
“These bills tackle critical issues such as encouraging energy exploration and production, removing unnecessary EPA regulations. This legislation would create thousands of jobs for Americans.
“The West Act contains language from eight of these bills already passed by the House that were part of the Jobs Frontier original report.
“This legislation accomplishes many of the goals in the Jobs Frontier report. It does it by increasing affordable American energy, by promoting agriculture and ranching and by overturning Washington’s regulatory overreach.
“The bottom line is that this act is ready to create jobs now. Today—and to set the nation on the path to becoming more energy secure.
“So I’m here to congratulate Senator Hatch for bringing this important bill forward, and I yield the floor.”
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