U.S. Representative Beth Van Duyne (R) warned that a Democratic-controlled House could bring renewed pressure on American energy producers, arguing that the party's previous energy policies increased costs and benefited foreign competitors.
In an interview with Texas Politics, Rep. Van Duyne criticized Democratic energy priorities and questioned whether the incoming majority would support an approach that includes traditional energy production alongside emerging technologies such as small modular nuclear reactors.
Van Duyne pointed to her experience serving in the House minority during the previous Democratic majority, saying she was concerned about legislation and policies targeting domestic energy production.
"I saw those green scam deals. It benefited China. It hurt our American energy producers. It hurt the cost of gas in our country," said Van Duyne.
She argued that Democrats would continue to criticize domestic energy companies rather than prioritize affordability and reliability.
"They are interested only in looking at the most expensive types of energy at the detriment of actually providing affordable, reliable energy," she said.
Van Duyne said she would like to see Democrats adopt an approach similar to what she described as Texas Governor Greg Abbott's energy strategy, supporting multiple sources of power rather than prioritizing certain technologies
"I would hope that they would take a page out of the playbook of Abbott and try to do an all-of-the-above, including, you know, the small nuclear reactors," she said.
Van Duyne added that she had not seen that approach reflected in the Democratic Party's record.
Her criticism also extended to energy prices under former President Joe Biden. Van Duyne said the country experienced some of its highest gasoline prices during his administration, using those costs as an example of what she considers the consequences of Democratic energy policy.
Her comments come as energy policy remains a central issue for Texas, where oil and gas production, electricity reliability, and the development of emerging energy technologies carry significant economic implications.
