Oil State Senators request Presidential meeting over climate change policies

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, before the House subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing on the "Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

by: Nexstar, Jaclyn Ramkissoon, Anna Wiernicki

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — Senate Republicans say President Joe Biden rejected their request to meet over climate policies they say threaten “thousands of good-paying jobs.”

“The war on fossil fuels. That’s coal oil and gas, and that is exactly what is happening right now,” Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) said.

Inhofe says he and 25 senators from oil-rich states asked to meet with Biden regarding his recent executive actions on climate change, including one to stop the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, but the president said no.

“We want to sit down with him and talk to him and make sure he knows what is going to happen to the economy in the United States with just this act alone,” Inhofe said.

Inhofe says stopping the pipeline project puts thousands of Americans out of a job.

“We’re talking about 1,000 jobs immediately as soon as the announcement came,” Inhofe said.

American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers says the president’s order to halt drilling on all federal lands hurts local economies.

“About 40% of revenue for the state of New Mexico comes from royalties from the oil and gas industry,” Sommers explained. “So many, many jobs could be lost if this goes too far.”

But Biden said this is just the start. He wants his administration to move faster on climate change than any before.

“We’ve already waited too long to deal with the climate crisis. We cannot wait any longer,” said Biden on Wednesday.

Biden says he plans to introduce more policies to ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net zero emissions no later than 2050.