Feb 23, 2021
"The policies surrounding renewable energies was a huge part of this problem," Congressman Kelly Armstrong said on this episode of Plain Talk.
The "problem" in question are the power outages that have recently plagued Texas and a vast swath of the middle of America. For Armstrong, it illustrates not just the absurdity of the government promoting intermittent forms of energy like wind and solar to the degree it has, but also the need for a renewed commitment to energy infrastructure.
It's not just the oil and gas pipelines targeted by frequently violent protests and activist litigators paid to obstruct and delay. "You think building a pipeline is hard, try building a high-voltage power line," Armstrong said.
"The United States used to be the best country in the world when it came to infrastructure," he continued. "I don't think anyone believes that anymore."
How has it been working in Congress during the Biden era? Armstrong said he was hopeful about some of the things President Joe Biden has said about bipartisanship, but he's not it turn up in the policymaking process so far.
"The take is that Biden's willing to cut a deal, but his staff isn't."
How much of that intransigence is a product of political bases that demand, with the fury of protests and social media campaigns, absolute loyalty to policy platforms?
A great deal, Armstrong says. "If MSNBC came after me for 48-hours, do you think that would help me or hurt me with my voters?" Armstrong asks.
It would help him, clearly, given North Dakota's political inclinations. "If you want to do a three-minute Fox News hit, [North Dakota] is a great place to be," he added.