Hawley calls out Interior Sec. for saying there’s too many blue collar jobs for Americans to fill

Senator Josh Hawley had a brief conversation with Deb Haaland at a hearing Tuesday when he accused the Secretary of the Interior of saying there are “too many” blue-collar jobs in the US and not enough people to make them work.

The Missouri senator claimed that the Biden administration’s energy proposals make the US less competitive on the global stage and exacerbate the outsourcing of legitimate blue-collar jobs to China.

Haaland, along with Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau, were before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for a hearing on the budget proposal. They answered several questions about domestic oil production and natural resources.

The vast majority of the committee’s members, including Hawley, come from Western states where natural resources are more abundant. Republicans believe the western US is untapped for many domestic energy resources.

Home Secretary Deb Haaland said at the hearing that there are ‘not enough’ people to fill blue-collar jobs in the US – so the jobs are being outsourced to China

Hawley questioned Haaland about the Biden administration’s green energy plan, which he called a “radical climate agenda,” asking specifically why the US doesn’t mine for resources such as zinc, lithium nickel graphite and cobalt.

He said all of these resources could be mined in the US but outsourced to China instead.

“Workers’ jobs in this country are valuable resources. The livelihoods and well-being of American families are valuable resources. America’s ability to have our own industry and not depend on China is a valuable resource,” Hawley said.

“Why should those things be sacrificed for millions of Americans in favor of your agenda for a radical climate agenda?”

“I know there are currently about 1.9 jobs for every American in the country. So I know there are a lot of jobs…” Haaland replied, but was cut off by the Republican senator from Missouri.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute. Are you saying we have too many jobs in the country?’ Hawley scoffed with a sarcastic laugh.

“Well, I’m saying we don’t have enough people,” Haaland clarified. ‘That’s why we have trouble finding people for our department.’

Hawley didn’t fall for it.

“You mean we have too many jobs for blue-collar workers?” he wondered. “Have you seen how many jobs we’ve lost in this country to China in the last 20 years?”

“More than 3 million jobs have gone to China. Do you know where those jobs come from? They come from Midwestern cities like the ones I represent,” the senator added, visibly becoming more upset. ‘They are workers. Are you sitting here telling me we have too many jobs in this country? Are you serious?’

Unemployment peaked during the pandemic and in the years since. Republicans argue more natural resource production and mining should be done domestically as it would create jobs, increase competition and reduce dependence on China

“Senator, we work hard every day,” Haaland replied, noting that the government is also working to open more mines for natural resources in the US.

“We’re moving back,” Hawley shot back.

“You are shutting down and denying permits for mines in this country where we can develop our own resources,” he claimed.

The Biden administration is asking for $18.9 billion for the Interior Department for the next fiscal year, an increase of $2 billion from 2023.

Haaland and her deputy answered questions about the request for an increase in appropriations, the Biden administration’s energy policy and the Republicans’ push for more domestic production of natural resources and mining.

Hawley also serves on the Senate Judiciary Committees; Homeland Security and Government Affairs; and small businesses and entrepreneurship.