Voters send unambiguous signal to the political class that top-down control of means of America’s prosperity – affordable energy – is a guaranteed loser at the ballot box
WASHINGTON – Institute for Energy Research (IER) president Thomas J. Pyle issued the following statement tonight as the American people took to the polls to deliver a clear and unequivocal message to Congress, the White House, and its executive agencies:
“Any dime-store pundit can tell you this election was about jobs and the economy, but any politician who fails to appreciate the role that reliable, affordable energy can and must play in growing and strengthening both – well, let’s just say he probably shouldn’t sign anything longer than a two-year lease.
“You name the issue: From cap-and-trade, to EPA’s criminalization of coal, to the White House’s decision to impose an offshore moratorium based on rank politics instead of sound science – every one of these phenomena have contributed to the difficult and protracted economic circumstances in which we find ourselves today.
“You name the individual race: If at first glance it doesn’t appear as if energy played a prominent part in determining its outcome, ask yourself what that district’s unemployment rate would be if even a modest portion of America’s massive, yet largely idle energy resource base was allowed to be accessed, produced, and delivered by and for the American people. Then ask yourself how many incumbents typically get voted out of office when next to none of their constituents are out of work.
“Tonight certainly appears to be a good night for Republicans – but whether any of that translates into real, substantive action in delivering on the promise and potential of America’s energy future remains to be seen. We won’t know that for some time, but here’s what we do know: The American people have spoken, elections have consequences, and those who stood on the wrong side of the public on the twin issues of energy and the economy don’t have to look far for reasons they lost.”
