Johnson Supports “American Energy Independence from Russia Act”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) cosponsored the American Energy Independence from Russia Act which immediately approves the Keystone XL Pipeline, resumes permitting of energy and mineral development on Federal lands and waters, and boosts natural gas production in the U.S. The bill would also require President Biden to develop an energy security plan within 30 days to offset any disruption of Russian imports.

“President Biden has the opportunity to right wrongs and undo the damage his administration has done to America’s energy independence,” said Johnson. “On the first day of his term, President Biden cancelled the Keystone XL Pipeline – the American Energy Independence from Russia Act will bring this back. The events happening in Ukraine and Russia’s unwarranted aggression is a reminder to us all: America shouldn’t rely on foreign adversaries for oil and gas.”

“Putin and Russia’s economy are dependent upon dominating energy production and exporting to other nations. He gains power by doing so, and it’s what funds his military and aggressive behavior,” said Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers. “To counter Putin, our bill flips the switch to promote American energy jobs, production, and exports. America must shut down Putin’s war chest and stop bloodshed in Ukraine, and this legislation is a vital step in achieving those goals.”

The Keystone XL Pipeline would have imported 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Canada into the United States, compared to the 595,000 barrels of crude oil the United States subsequently began to import daily from Russia at the end of 2020. Additionally, Johnson cosponsored H.Res. 940 which calls on President Biden to take immediate action to provide allies of the United States with an affordable and secure supply of energy to strengthen global energy security.

In February 2021, following President Biden’s cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline, Johnson hosted a roundtable in Philip with more than 20 South Dakota business owners and community members impacted by the Executive Order.

The American Energy Independence from Russia Act was introduced by Energy & Commerce Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5).

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They say hindsight is 20-20. Looking back at the year 2020 in hindsight, we now can say that South Dakota consistently made the right decisions during the pandemic. After all, our path has led us to the strongest economy in America, and we took care of people along the way. But with the two-year anniversary of COVID in South Dakota coming up, I want to dive deeper into how I made those pandemic-related decisions at the time I made them – without the benefit of hindsight.  

Melissa Klemann, our long-time health policy advisor, walked into a staff meeting on March 10 of that year and informed me that the first COVID cases had arrived, as well as our first COVID-related death. The news was bleak, and we did not know what was next.   

I focused on what we did know. We had prepared for the virus for nearly two months. Our emergency operations center would help us monitor the situation and keep South Dakotans informed. And I knew that we would get through this if we worked together.  

I stayed focused on what my authority as Governor was – and that, most importantly, I did not have the authority to close our state down. I advised the people of South Dakota to stay home if they were able, but we did not mandate it. On that first day, I said, “I encourage all South Dakotans to take this seriously. Now is the time to prepare and stay informed.”  

As the weeks passed, I focused on absorbing new information. I talked to medical professionals, my state epidemiologist, my general counsel, and other constitutional attorneys. I spent countless hours on the phone – and I hate talking on the phone! I kept gathering science, facts, and data because I knew the people of South Dakota were looking to me as their elected leader for guidance.  

We focused on Facts – not Fear. And over the next two years, we stayed true to that approach. We were the only state to never order a single business or church to close. The results speak for themselves.  

Those decisions were not easy – but they were simple. They were built on my trust in the people of South Dakota and on the principles that built our great nation.  

In the two years since, we have seen new variants of the virus come and go. As tends to happen as viruses mutate, COVID has become more transmissible over time – but it has also become less deadly. We have developed treatments and therapeutics. Vaccines became available in record time. And we have learned to adapt the virus – though it took other states much longer to figure that out than South Dakota.  

On that first day, I was asked, “How should South Dakotans handle this moving forward?” Today, the answer to that question is straightforward: exactly as we have been. New variants may come in the future. New variants of the flu come every year, too.   

I hope that other states can look to South Dakota and realize that they do not have to go too far when responding to any future variants. We have set an example that other states should follow. We have the strongest economy and the best educational outcomes of any state, and we have taken care of people along the way. We balanced freedom and personal responsibility. We focused on Facts – not Fear. In hindsight, I am glad that we did. 

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I’m thinking I’m going to have to find a new e-mail host at this point, as I’m on day 2 of my mail e-mail being on the fritz. If you need to reach out, send me a text or use my alternative e-mail address.

This morning, a post has been made on the SDGOP website where the State Republican Party has made a statement on the Haugaard speech which generated a firestorm for the gubernatorial challenger:

SDGOP Statement on Rep. Steve Haugaard’s remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives

The South Dakota Republican Party’s Executive Board issued a statement tonight condemning State Representative Steve Haugaard’s remarks made on the floor of the House of Representatives. “The language used by Rep. Haugaard to depict a Native American woman and the results of her drug addiction do not reflect the values of the Republican Party.”

Read it here.

That’s pretty remarkable that the State GOP’s executive board would issue a rebuke of a legislator, which is a hint as to how egregious that Haugaard referring to a woman as a whore is viewed.

In case you have been living under a rock since yesterday, State Representative Steve Haugaard has come under fire for comments he was making in a floor debate yesterday where he refers to a child of a client – a woman that had addiction issues – as a “wrung out whore.”

Predictably, this has met with a firestorm of negative reaction, including from Governor Noem who is suggesting he be censured for his comments.

In case you wanted to hear for yourselves, with a little context..

 

From Facebook:

State Senator Erin Tobin commented this evening on one of the posts here at Dakotawarcollege.com below, offering her opinion on State Representative Steve Haugaard‘s comments during session today which are drawing the ire of the governor and his colleagues:

 

*UPDATE*  

Senator Tobin added to her comments from last night on Facebook today:

You can read that and more here. (And good for her for saying so.)

Tonight, Republican State Representative Tamara St. John, representing District 1, expressed her deep concern with comments by State Representative Steve Haugaard.

Haugaard, representing District 10, was speaking on a bill against medical marijuana where he referred to a woman supposedly addicted using the term “wrung out whore” to describe her:

@Argus_Joe the fact that the Representative told me she is a Native American young woman made it even more personal to me. I reject his apology and rejected his wish to speak to me about it.

— Representative Tamara St John (@tamarajstjohn) March 4, 2022

I spent almost two terms thinking well of him for such concern and care for a young native woman. I doubt I can express how upset I was trying to finish the work I was sent here to do. Disappointed doesn’t describe it.

— Representative Tamara St John (@tamarajstjohn) March 4, 2022

(The second tweet was posted for a while, and appears it was later deleted.)

It’s notable, as St. John is a conservative legislator, and this is a particularly sharp rebuke for the former Speaker.

Governor Noem Condemns Rep. Haugaard’s Anti-Women Comments, Calls On Speaker Gosch To Reprimand And Censure

Pierre, SD – Today, Governor Kristi Noem released the following statement condemning Representative Steve Haugaard for his inappropriate comments on the South Dakota House floor. Haugaard’s comments today were just the latest in a long pattern of demanding comments and behavior towards women.

Statement from Governor Noem:

“I am disappointed and appalled by the inappropriate and offensive language used today on the house floor by Representative Haugaard.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time he has used his position of power to demean others, especially women.

I am calling on the Speaker and the House to take a stand against this irresponsible and abusive behavior by formally reprimanding and censuring Mr. Haugaard.

I am hopeful the Speaker will set aside his personal friendship with Mr. Haugaard and use his office to send a clear signal to Mr. Haugaard and others that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

BACKGROUND

Today’s comments from Rep. Haugaard are just the latest in a long pattern of demeaning and inappropriate comments and actions towards women:

During his brief and tumultuous tenure as Speaker, Haugaard enacted an anti-women dress code that may have been deemed outdated in 1889 when South Dakota first became a state, that mandated women in the state house to wear “hose,” skirts “below the knees,” and that no portion of their legs or their collarbones could show.

He was widely rebuked and then sued for singling out and banning a female lobbyist from the House floor, decided to settle, then asked Governor Noem to foot the bill and when she declined to have the taxpayers of South Dakota foot the bill for his mistakes, he ran to anyone else he could find to cover the legal fees that he would have been personally liable to pay.

From the Argus Leader, Governor Kristi Noem he is requesting the state house of representatives censure former speaker of the House Steve Haugaard for some misogynistic language he used on the house floor today:

Noem Thursday evening formally called for the House to censure the former South Dakota House Speaker for the remark.

“I am disappointed and appalled by the inappropriate and offensive language used today on the House floor by Rep. Haugaard,” Noem said in a statement issued by her re-election campaign. I’m calling on the Speaker and the House to take a stand against this irresponsible and abusive behavior by formally reprimanding and censuring Mr. Haugaard.”

Read the entire story here.

After State Democrats rolled their Congressional candidate under the bus for his misogynistic and seriously off base Twitter account earlier today, Representative Haugaard should have had a clue that this was not the thing to do.

Especially since the impression is already there, whether correct or not, that he might tend towards being a bit patriarchal when it comes to women.