Don’t let Joe Biden use coronavirus as an excuse to crush Texas’ oil, gas workers

As our state and nation face truly uncertain times, it is more important than ever that our representatives show wisdom.

We are thankful for President Donald Trump, Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and all of our Republican elected officials who are working diligently to protect Texans and Americans. They continue to fight to ensure we are able to build our economy back up while keeping the health and safety of all Texans the top priority.

They have prioritized defending lives rather than playing political games, while Democrats and their chosen presidential candidate seek to do just the opposite.

Trump and Abbott are working around the clock to combat coronavirus — expanding testing capacity, mobilizing the private sector to meet challenges, protecting workers’ paychecks and safely reopening jobs across America. Joe Biden, by comparison, isn’t taking coronavirus seriously at all.

The presumed Democratic presidential nominee said he’s “excited” about the possibilities born of the coronavirus pandemic because it provides an “opportunity” for “institutional changes.” He topped that off at a virtual fundraiser by stating that the coronavirus is “a wake up call to action to climate change overall and to climate justice.”

The difference is stark: Republicans are fighting to protect Texans and Americans while working to overcome this pandemic, and Democrats are using the pandemic as political leverage.

The institutional change Biden has been pushing for is an environmental agenda that would kill jobs and hurt families in Texas. He has stated his intention to end fossil fuels which hits home in Texas — particularly during these already difficult times.

Texas is the top oil producer in the U.S., one of the top natural gas producers, and in the top 10 for coal production. That means Joe’s push for a Green New Disaster would eliminate $308 billion of Texas’ gross domestic product. His agenda would put nearly 2 million Texas oil and gas employees out of a job.

Biden’s radical agenda would hurt Texans, devastate the Texas economy and leave us in a hole while we attempt to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The last thing Texas families need right now is Joe Biden looking to use their suffering to make his radical dreams come true.

What Texans need is continued strong leadership by Republicans such as Trump, Sen. John Cornyn, and all of our Republican representatives. It was Republican policies that led our state and nation to an incredible and historic boom and those same policies will lead us there again.

So, when Texas voters have the opportunity to choose who will lead our nation for the next four years, I’m confident they will choose to support growth, economic prosperity, and true leadership.

This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 6:03 AM.