Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the importance of nuclear energy and the role of energy in national and economic security. He also discussed predictions for the 2024 presidential race. Excerpts and full video are below.
On Unleashing American Energy:
“[American energy independence and dominance] added to our national security. It reduced inflation and brought down the cost of everything that we grow, produce, and manufacture because it brought down the cost of the one thing in everybody’s value chain—that’s energy. That’s good for everybody.”
On the Importance of Nuclear Technology:
“[It] points out the incredible hypocrisy of the left who doesn’t want any technology or innovations, including the cleanest form of electric generation that exists and that of course is nuclear. It’s the perfect fuel, particularly today with small modular reactors and the ability to deploy and dispatch them.”
“I’ve often been concerned that our acquiescence of nuclear, and even uranium fuel—acquiescing that excellence—to overseas adversaries is one of the greatest mistakes we’ve made in recent history. In doing so, we’ve limited the resources, including the intellectual resources to build nuclear weapons.”
“We need to have a good deterrent and our deterrent is built by our ability to be on offense. So we need to do all the above on the missile and the weapons front. We need to have space weapons. We need to have air weapons. We need to have sea weapons. We need a military arsenal that prevents war. But in the case that we would be under attack, we also need to be able to defend our own shores. All of this stuff has a national security component to it as well as an energy [and economic security] component.”
On the 2024 Presidential Race:
“I think you’re going to see other Republicans get into the Presidential sweepstakes. I hope that they do. I hope we see a bunch of them on the stage for multiple, very entertaining debates. As is said, ‘iron sharpens iron.’ Donald Trump has set the foundation for the discussion with Republicans and I look forward to a lot of people getting engaged.”
On Permitting Reform:
“If we can get something that actually is meaningful, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I’d do my part to try and help get something passed. But it has to be meaningful, it can’t just be lipstick on a pig.”