March 22, 2022 - On Monday, Congressman Kevin McCarthy held a press conference to discuss the energy crisis and hold Democrats accountable for their bad policies which have driven up gas prices to a State average of $5.85 a gallon — nearly $2 more per gallon than it cost a year ago.

McCarthy was joined by Taft Mayor Dave Noerr, Mike Gooding of San Joaquin Facilities Management, Inc., Phillip Larrea of E&B Natural Resources, Chris Hall of Drilling & Production Co., Assemblyman Vince Fong, State Senator Shannon Grove, Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner, and Steve Layton with E&B Natural Resources to discuss the impact that high gas prices are having on California and how misguided anti-American oil policies are contributing to these skyrocketing energy prices.
 
Below are some highlights from the press conference which you can also watch here:
  
"There's not one Californian that would want to give their money to Vladimir Putin, but because of the decisions [being made] in Sacramento, that's exactly what we're doing," said Congressman Kevin McCarthy. "If you care about the environment and want an environmentally sound way of [producing oil], produce it in America...A new study came out: just from inflation and where the price of oil is today, it's going to cost families $6000 more dollars from President Biden in office — just because of his policies."

 

Dave Noerr, Mayor of Taft: "The policies coming out of Sacramento, this rush to green, is going to be paid for in discretionary dollars, discretionary dollars that groups of Californians quite simply don't have [working class Californians]. Gavin Newsom's policies to keep us from producing our oil produces poverty."

Mike Gooding, President of San Joaquin Facilities Management: "We have a national security issue, a serious national security issue because of the crude oil we are importing into this country. One thing I would add to that is that California has an exacerbated security issue, we only produce a little less than 400 thousand barrels a day we still use 1.8 million barrels a day it makes absolutely no sense to import those barrels from foreign countries when we can do it right here." 

Phillip Loraya: "I believe this industry has saved my life for the simple reason that it has brought me and my family out of a level of poverty, and up to where we could provide things for my family...This industry here in Kern County helped provide for a lot of people, a lot of families in a lot of different circumstances that a lot of people couldn't even imagine." 

Chris Hall: "We've talked locally about the issue of energy independence. We've talked about and questioned renewable resources not being able to fill the gap, we know now today that they couldn't if they had to. This is not just a California issue — I would hope that the discussion of this issue goes national."

Assemblyman Vince Fong: "Our state consumes 1.8 million barrels of oil a day and our state produces around 370 thousand barrels, so where does that difference come from? That difference comes from foreign countries. We should not be getting our oil supply from foreign countries that don't like us." 

Senator Shannon Grove: "We are producing energy here that is safe and that has a quality that is beyond any environmental policy anywhere in the world. We are the power structure of the State of California."

Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner: "We all know that this industry is the lifeblood of Kern County, and frankly this industry will be here for many, many years to come."

Steve Layton with E&B Natural Resources: "We are arm-in-arm with renewable. We are an industry that's embracing the use of renewable energy because we know the importance...that what we do must be done in the most environmentally responsible way possible."
Source: Congressman Kevin McCarthy