With the third GOP debate in less than two weeks set to focus on the economy, Sen. Marco Rubio laid out his plan for a “21st century” energy policy during a Friday address in Ohio.
In the speech, Rubio touted a three-pronged approach to achieving this goal: minimizing government bureaucracy and its effects on the industry, maximizing private innovation and optimizing America’s resources.
Rubio told the Salem, Ohio crowd that he will institute a National Regulatory Budget, which will cause federal agencies to “limit the amount of new rules” they can toss on the private sector.
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“I’ll then immediately stop the Clean Power Plan. Period,” Rubio said in his prepared remarks. “Over the years, coal has done everything it’s been asked to do. The days of big clouds of toxic smoke rising out of power plants are long over, and it’s time we let coal get back to the task of creating jobs and growing our economy.”
The Florida senator also argued for simplifying the process of approving permits, pointing to a national gas pipeline into the Sunshine State that has been held up for almost three years, as well as the Keystone XL Pipeline. He also pushed support for fracking, an issue that has garnered support among Republicans across the spectrum and some Democrats. Supporters say it has helped consumers gas bills fall by nearly $13 billion a year.
Twice in his speech, Rubio criticized former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calling her policies on energy “outdated,” adding that she thinks President Obama’s restrictions on energy “haven’t gone far enough.”
The 2016 hopeful currently sits third in the Washington Examiner‘s latest power rankings.
Rubio’s address also came a day after his campaign released a statement touting the fact that they have the second most cash on hand of anyone in the GOP field, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, while pushing the frugality of the operation they are running. He currently sits third in the GOP field with close to ten percent support, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
