ORLANDO - The U.S. should shut down Russia’s energy sector and supply its oil and gas throughout the world, according to Sen. Josh Hawley, who directed his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
“We’re going to open up our [energy sector] like you've never seen before,” Hawley told a cheering audience.
The Missouri Senator was among the featured speakers at the annual conference, which continues through Sunday. Former President Donald J. Trump will speak Saturday evening.
“It's time to allow the good, strong Americans to go out there and start drilling for oil, to start exploring for natural gas, to start fracking again, and to let them do what we do best,” he said. “Show America and show the world the strength of this nation. Put America back to work. Open up American energy.”
Hawley went on to blame U.S. President Joe Biden for Russia’s Feb. 23 aggression targeting Ukraine.
“He comes to office and what does he do? He shuts down American energy production, green lights Putin’s pipeline, and shuts down America’s pipelines,” he said. “Is it any wonder that Vladimir Putin feels emboldened to do whatever the heck it is he wants to do?”
Hawley delivered his 11-minute speech in front of a background lit in vibrant red, white and blue.
“Joe Biden has spent a year telling this country that we are broken, that we are backward, that we are racist, and that we are weak,” he said. “He thinks the heart of America is warped and wicked but I'm from the Heartland. I was born there. I was raised there. I know the heart of this country and it is true and it is good. There's nothing wrong with America. There's something wrong with Joe Biden.”
Hawley also promoted voting Republican in the Nov. 8 elections in which 34 of 100 Senate seats are contested.
“In 2022, we have the opportunity to take back the United States House and Senate,” he said. “Why is it that we should be dependent for our energy and our critical goods on other nations and not just on any nations but on our enemies? Why is it that Joe Biden has tried to make us more dependent, has tried to make us subservient to China and Russia and Iran and OPEC? Why is it that Joe Biden now has to go to the OPEC countries and beg them to increase oil production? I say enough of that. America's the strongest nation in the world and it's time we started acting like it.”
Hawley also discussed the Southern border asserting that Missouri is a border state, too.
“We are a border state, too because the drugs that are flooding into our schools, that are flooding into our neighborhoods, and that are flooding to every part of the state are coming across that Southern border that Joe Biden has thrown open and said, ‘Come on in,’” he added.