U.S. Congressman Clay Higgins helped Americans for Prosperity (AFP) share a message of how a robust domestic energy industry could help Americans fulfill their own dreams. Energy, the Congressman said, is the gold that guarantees the value of the dollar worldwide.

Higgins was at Sowela Technical Community College Wednesday to answer questions from AFP’s top energy expert, Faith Burns, and state director Scott Simon.

“Energy products — consumable, affordable, transportable energy — is the foundation of economic prosperity worldwide,” Higgins said. “That’s not really debatable.”

In 2023, the Congressman voted in favor of H.R. 1 to repeal a natural gas tax, ensure Louisiana receives its fair share of revenues from Gulf of Mexico production and streamlines approval for new energy infrastructure and development.

“HR 1 was a heavy lift to get through this executive branch, but we certainly supported that as the Republican majority in the House, and next year by the grace of God we will have a Republican majority in the House and Senate.”

Higgins said Republicans also support clean air and water.

“The energy product that is developed, produced and delivered across the world out of America is the cleanest, most abundant, most transportable and most abundant energy that the world has access to. So if you support a cleaner, greener earth, then you should support the American energy industry.”

The technology isn’t there yet for electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar, he said, though “the ideas are great and I applaud the spirit behind it all.”

He said he is not in support of federal dollars being used to develop new technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration.

In April Higgins introduced the LNG Permitting Improvement Act, which establishes a shot clock for the review of applications for natural gas export and import orders.

“We have too many layers of jurisdictional authority at the executive branch, and part of this is reflective of the disease we have in D.C. to grow the government,” he said.

He is not for eliminating regulatory authority, he said. There is a place for it at the federal level. He is against duplication and overlap.

“Why should the EPA, NOAA and NASA have regulatory authority over one permit?”

Cultivating investors for new LNG projects is key, according to Higgins. These investors need to count on the stability of the project.

“They need to know that the project is not going to be inhibited by regulatory overreach or by executive abuse; it’s not going to be hindered by toxic legal environments encouraging frivolous and injurious and unwarranted lawsuits.”