Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said on Saturday the energy and engineering victories the Roughrider State has seen in recent years are a byproduct of his state’s reliance of Republican principles.
North Dakota has the cleanest ambient air quality in the country, said Cramer, as it relies on oil, natural gas, coal, wind and biofuels for energy — outpacing any other state. Kramer explained the state’s successful energy policies are not the result of government regulations, but a hands-off policy that allowed the state to find its own way to thrive.
“Our state’s “all of the above” energy policy has elevated North Dakota’s economy to the top in the nation,” said Kramer, speaking from the University of North Dakota College of Engineering and Mines, which just dedicated a collaborative energy research complex. “And we’ve proven that a strong economy and responsible environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.”
The second-term congressman explained that as a result of embodying the GOP’s “Better Way” agenda, the state now leads the nation as an energy producer. But recent federal regulations have blocked the state from continuing down that path, Kramer added.
“Over the last eight years, President Obama has led a regulatory onslaught the likes of which we have never seen. In fact, this administration is on pace to make this the ‘busiest regulatory year in history,’ and it won’t even be close. In the works are everything from regulating overtime pay to retirement planning,” Kramer said, adding that delays to the Keystone XL pipeline are another example of Uncle Sam’s impeding their success.
The only way around government hold-ups would be by requiring Congress to vote on any major regulation before it can take effect, Cramer said. Currently, unelected government officials make the final decision on regulations, but Kramer said if the legislative branch is allowed decide what is best for the people they represent, much of the Washington red tape tying up current projects would be stripped away and allow the states to succeed.
