Originally Posted in the Washington Times on April 28, 2025.

OPINION:

It is no secret that our country faces many challenges. From cyberattacks to threats from Russia, China, and more, the time for American energy dominance has never been more critical. The Permian Basin is the geopolitical tool our nation needs, and with President Donald Trump back in office, the oil and gas industry will finally be employed and treated as such.

It is truly a privilege to represent this pivotal region in Congress. Right now, our basin is producing approximately 6.6 million barrels of oil per day that’s over half of America’s total crude oil production growth. That production isn’t just numbers on a page it’s jobs created, it’s families supported, and it’s communities thriving.

For the first time in nearly 70 years, the United States has become a net energy exporter. We are now the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas in the world. But it hasn’t been easy getting here. The Biden administration put every possible roadblock in the way, yet the energy industry persevered and worked tirelessly to ensure all Americans had access to the safe, affordable, reliable energy that they needed.

For four years, the Biden administration took an all-of-government approach to wage war on and cripple the energy industry. From one energy policy disaster after the next, the Biden administration imposed burdensome, nonsensical red tape on the energy industry.

Let’s take a look at what the Biden administration managed to do in just four years: it canceled the Keystone XL pipeline; halted new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters; rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement; proposed punitive methane emission rules; imposed a moratorium on new LNG export permits; raised royalty rates and fees for federal oil and gas leases; used regulatory agencies like the SEC and EPA to pressure banks and financial institutions to divest from fossil fuels; and named new species to the endangered species list, such as the Dune Sagebrush Lizard. The list keeps going.

With President Trump back in office and a Republican-controlled Congress, we are restoring American energy dominance with common-sense policies that are good for all Americans. In fact, the second piece of legislation that President Trump signed into law was my bill to repeal President Joe Biden’s ill-conceived natural gas tax. What we must do now is look at all the regulations that stand in the way, and the disincentives that discourage progress, and build on the momentum we already have.

In just under 100 days of President Trump being back in office, it’s time to take a look at what Republicans have done. They’ve declared a national energy emergency; revived the Keystone XL pipeline; unlocked federal lands and waters; secured American energy sovereignty; rolled back several burdensome regulations such as onerous methane and environmental rules; expedited LNG exports; protected access to capital; and systematically dismantled the harmful EPA regulations that threaten our energy sector. And the list keeps going.

But let me be clear: our work is far from done. As President Trump says, we must “Drill, baby, drill.” but we can’t “drill, baby, drill” when oil is under $60/bbl. Our next immediate task is finding the sweet spot between $76 and $88/bbl.

The future of American energy has never been brighter. We are working toward an energy future that embraces all forms of domestic production, that recognizes the strategic importance of the Permian Basin, and that puts American energy dominance at the center of our national security strategy.

We’re laying the groundwork for a future where American energy powers not just our homes and businesses, but also our technological revolution. President Trump’s executive orders specifically recognize the importance of reliable energy for emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and data centers. The resurgence of American manufacturing depends on affordable, reliable energy and that comes from right here in the Permian Basin.

As we continue to make the 119th Congress the most productive Congress in recent history, we will fight to codify as many of President Trump’s executive orders as possible. The House has already passed my Protecting American Energy Production Act, which prohibits any federal moratorium on hydraulic fracturing. This legislation will ensure that fracking a safe, clean, and effective way to produce affordable energy remains a viable tool for American energy production, and I will work tirelessly to get this legislation, and many others, across the finish line this Congress.

• Rep. August Pfluger represents Texas’ 11th congressional district, which includes the Permian Basin the nation’s largest secure energy supply. He is the first member of Congress to represent Midland and Odessa on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep. Pfluger graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy before serving in the military for over twenty years as a decorated fighter pilot and later as an advisor on the National Security Council during President Trump’s first term. He still serves as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.