With summer around the corner, Americans are feeling the financial strain of higher gas and energy prices due to supply chain crunches and inflation. Per AAA, the average cost for a gallon of gasoline is now sitting at $4.59. 

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Policymakers who support free markets are offering substantial solutions that could reduce energy costs without compromising environmental protection. One such lawmaker is Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District. During her first term in Congress, Miller-Meeks has been a vocal advocate for sustainable energy and climate solutions. Notably, she joined the Conservative Climate Caucus and was a part of the congressional delegation that represented America at last year’s COP26, the United Nation’s annual climate conference. 

Recently Congresswoman Miller-Meeks joined John Hart on Right Voices. 

On why she joined the Conservative Climate Caucus, which now includes nearly one-third of congressional Republicans, Miller-Meeks referenced her role as a mother. 

“I have children and I’m hoping to have grandchildren soon and I also have nieces and nephews and for them, this topic is a very important topic. As a scientist, as a physician, I was certainly interested in climate and conservation.” 

She continued: 

“We all want to leave a healthier, cleaner planet for our children and our grandchildren, let’s start with that. We all want to leave a cleaner, healthier planet. The real question is how do we do that in a way that doesn’t disadvantage us economically in a global economic environment.”

Market-supporting environmentalists know that a cleaner planet and a healthy economy are not mutually exclusive. In the United States, for example, market forces unleashed the fracking revolution, which made America the largest reducer of emissions in the world. Miller-Meeks’ home state of Iowa has also demonstrated the strength of free-market environmentalism. 

“Iowa has a great story to tell. We’re a state, where without a mandate, without an emissions requirement, under the guidance of our terrific governor Reynolds and, before her governor Branstad, we’re a state that has 50% of its energy from renewables. So when you look at one little state that’s considered a flyover state, and what it’s able to achieve without a mandate, with an emission requirement…we have a great story to tell in Iowa, which can be modeled in all states in the Union.”

Congresswoman Miller-Meeks then added, “We know that the market works, we know that economic freedom and innovation go hand in hand and that when we’re talking about emissions, and talking about a cleaner, healthier planet.”

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The Congresswoman also signaled optimism when discussing the possibility of Republicans flipping the House this November. Miller-Meeks said that she and her colleagues will come into the majority ready to present solutions to some of our greatest climate and energy challenges. 

“We want to attack critical minerals so whether they’re the rare earth elements–the copper, the cobalt–we have those minerals here in the United States. Allowing innovation to go forward to find what’s going to be the source of energy, how do we have battery storage.”

She then concluded by saying, “I think we can innovate, we can develop new sources, and the United States can absolutely lead on this.”

Watch the full interview here.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.