Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush criticized former Vice President Joe Biden’s pledge to transition away from oil during the final presidential debate on Thursday.
President Trump asked Biden if he would “close down the oil industry,” to which Biden responded, “I would transition from the oil industry, yes.”
NBC debate moderator Kristen Welker asked Biden, “Why would you do that?” Biden responded, “Because the oil industry pollutes significantly.”
Bush, who has endorsed Trump for president in 2020, tweeted that night, “What this translates to is hundreds of thousands of jobs gone in the blink of an eye. This is dangerous. It puts the prosperity of countless Americans at risk, and we cannot allow it to happen”:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also criticized Biden’s remarks, saying that he “just killed paycheck[s] earned by hardworking families in Texas.”
“Joe just wants to transition away from Texas. Remember that on election day,” he added.
As Breitbart News’ John Binder reported, Biden’s climate change plan to end fossil fuels could eliminate five to ten million jobs for America’s middle-class energy workers — some who are in unions. At the least, Biden’s plan to ban oil and gas production on federal land could eliminate about one million American jobs by 2022.
Some vulnerable Democrats in other states immediately sought to distance themselves from Biden’s remarks.
Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK) tweeted, “We must stand up for our oil and gas industry.”
Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM) tweeted, “We need to work together to promote responsible energy production and stop climate change, not demonize a particular industry.”
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