Congressman David McKinley, R-W.Va., is right: There must be something in the water to lead some states to try to go rogue on interstate commerce.
But that is what’s happening in these United States of America, as more and more states try to play politics with issues that are clearly of a national interest.
The latest examples are those of New York, Washington and Maryland, which have taken steps to either block natural gas or oil pipeline activity or coal exports.
At a time when the country can ill afford to be hampered either economically or on the national security front, these states are playing politics with issues and undoubtedly forcing protracted legal battles to advance political ideology.
“New York has effectively banned getting natural gas up into New England. They don’t have coal there. They burn some, but mostly it’s oil and gas,” McKinley told NCWV Media.
“Where do they get their gas? Russia. They’re bringing liquid natural gas tankers in from Russia. They get electricity from Canada.”
Let that sink in for a minute. Natural gas from Russia? Power from Canada? When West Virginia or Appalachia coal or natural gas could be powering the region for hundreds of years to come? That just doesn’t make sense.
Meanwhile, because some U.S. markets have shut off the flow of U.S.-produced resources, West Virginia and other states are forced to turn to China or India to export their natural resources. The good news is that those efforts keep U.S. workers – especially West Virginia workers – employed.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has long touted the need for the national energy policy that serves duel purposes of stimulating the economy with affordable, efficient power generation while also securing the nation’s defense on an international level.
If a country is self-sustaining, it is not dependent on others and forced to make decisions based on being able to purchase or sell energy resources.
As natural gas and oil drilling continues, the United States has the ability to be energy independent, to further establish and cement itself as the overwhelming world power.
But we must be united to do so.
Allowing states to go rogue and interfere with interstate commerce is dangerous policy.
It is time President Trump makes it clear that these actions won’t be taken lightly and that the nation’s energy policy is not to be held hostage by the political follies.
For the foreseeable future, natural gas and coal are major players in the nation’s ability to generate power.
The president, Congress and the courts must support that with their decisions as states continue to look out only for themselves at the potential harm to these United States of America.
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