Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Republican members hosted a virtual forum entitled, "Where Are The Jobs?" This forum featured witnesses from the members' districts who have been impacted by the Biden administration's executive orders on energy, and who are still awaiting the green jobs they were promised.

Witness statements included:

"I personally spoke with several friends who lost their jobs after Biden's executive order, the helplessness, the depression in their voices and in their eyes was heart-wrenching to me. What do you say to a man who's livelihood was taken away from him by an elected official who's answer was to go get a different job?" - Patrick Thorssen, foreman, Michels

"The administration seems to think these were just 'temporary jobs' and the effect is not that bad. I'm not sure if they understand that a lot of careers in this country rely on temporary projects. A carpenter doesn’t spend his whole career on the same house, a lawyer doesn’t spend his whole career with the same client. The Keystone XL was our house to build this year, it was our client. The effects of cancelling this project will be far reaching, not only for the workers, but I also believe it will have negative effect on future projects that provide the reliable energy this country needs." - Neal Crabtree, union foreman

"The hypocrisy of all this is what stings the most. As the Biden administration moves to renewable, they are asking us to pretend that oil and gas just does not exist. In reality, those lithium batteries that power their electric cars come from mines in Mexico that are powered by generators fed with natural gas. The wind farms that dot the East Coast and other parts of our country need to be lubricated and you cannot do that with sunflower seed oil, you need a petroleum product. And lastly, the lift boats that came from Cut Off, Louisiana, to help erect those windmills did not get up there by themselves. They were propelled with diesel engines." - Archie Chaisson III, Lafourche parish president

"Most of the workers I speak with on the West Slope of Colorado leave the politics to the politicians, but they are also tired of being political ping-pongs. They shouldn’t have to worry about their jobs because of who’s in the White House or the Governor’s mansion or the mayor’s office. They just want to do their job, support their families and give back to their communities." - Chelsie Miera, executive director, West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association

"My colleagues are real people who want the best for their families. They want clean water, clean air, and a healthy environment for future generations. We understand the importance of green energy and why it is a priority for the administration. However, the transition from oil and natural gas cannot be implemented overnight. It is difficult to understand how politics can lead to an attempt to abruptly shut down an entire industry without an alternate industry fully established, force employees into unemployment, and send businesses to their demise." - Ingo Riemer, CEO, Berg Pipe

Watch the full forum here.