MIDLAND, Texas — August Pfluger was in Midland Thursday for a special occasion-he has now officially been sworn in as the representative for District 11 in Texas.
The ceremony took place at the Bush U.S. Courthouse with a reception after.
Pfluger was elected into the position after Mike Conaway announced his decision to retire from Congress in 2019.
The congressman also made comments on the state of the oil and gas industry as Governor Greg Abbott visited Odessa for a special roundtable focused on the economy.
President Biden and his administration have said part of the reason they've placed these temporary restrictions on the industry is to see what kind of impact it has on the climate.
Congressman Pfluger said this is bad policy and at the end of the day it hurts Americans, especially Texans.
"A lot of the companies and the workers who live here in Texas work in New Mexico on those federal lands. It will absolutely affect the jobs and we'll start to see a reduction of those jobs immediately if the Biden admin gets their way," Pfluger said.
"We're going to continue to push extremely hard to make sure that we not only keep those jobs but we also extend those jobs," he stated.
Pfluger also expressed his concerns that relying on foreign oil would only weaken national security, and said he is committed to keeping the U.S. energy independent.