Rep. TJ Cox is Out of Step With His District
Last month the American Energy Alliance released its 2020 American Energy Scorecard results for the House of Representatives. The AEA scorecard scores voting and co-sponsorship decisions on legislation affecting energy and environmental policy, educating voters on how their representatives vote and holding members accountable for those decisions.
The scorecard is guided by principles such as:
- Promoting affordable, abundant, and reliable energy
- Expanding economic opportunity and prosperity, particularly for working families and those on fixed incomes
- Giving Americans, not Washington bureaucrats, the power to make their own energy choices
- Encouraging private sector innovation and entrepreneurship
- Advancing market-oriented energy and environment policies
- Reducing the role of government in energy markets
- Eliminating the subsidies, mandates, and special interest giveaways that lead to higher energy costs
This year’s scorecard compiled 19 votes and 2 co-sponsorship decisions from the 116th Congress. 74 House members achieved a 100% score.
While many members failed to achieve a perfect score for various reasons, the most concerning scores came from those representing districts where the energy industry is a major economic driver and job creator. One of these members is Rep. TJ Cox, whose California 21st Congressional District covers much of the San Joaquin Valley in the center of the state. Despite the PR efforts of environmentalists, California remains a major oil and gas producing state. The state’s production is concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley, where the industry supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes over $12 billion in GDP.
Rep. Cox did not just score poorly. His 0% score placed him at the bottom of the body along with extreme anti-energy members like Green New Deal creator Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Rep. Cox is clearly out of step with his constituents in the 21st district. This kind of voting record might pass in New York City or San Francisco, but not in the Central Valley.
It also cannot be considered an accident. AEA notifies all members in advance of votes that will be scored. A member disagreeing with AEA’s position on one or two votes might be understandable, but Rep. Cox shows a consistent record of votes harming the American energy industry and consumers alike. His record of voting against the interests of his constituents should be on the mind of every voter in 2020.
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