Although she hasn’t been in office long, Congresswoman Carol Miller is making a difference. A second-term member, Rep. Miller has played a pivotal role in advancing conservative solutions to climate change from her positions on the Ways and Means Committee and the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. 

Recently the Congresswoman joined John Hart on Right Voices. 

Prior to her time in public service, which included a decade in the West Virginia House of Delegates before Congress, Rep. Miller was a full-time farmer. She brought her “cut the bull” mentality when she moved to Washington. 

“This stuff in politics is a bunch of baloney. So when I was in the House of Delegates in West Virginia, it sort of became my motto with politics,” said Miller. 

>>>READ: Rep. John Curtis on the House GOP Climate Plan

Her time as a bison farmer also gave Rep. Miller a unique perspective on the importance of empowering private property owners, which is something that many people in the climate discussion have not begun to appreciate: 

“Farmers are very concerned about the Earth and they are very concerned about doing the best they can to manage their property. They don’t want the government managing their property. They want to take care of it. They are attached to the land.”

House Republicans have begun to change the narrative about climate solutions, recently rolling out their own set of climate and energy principles. “They’re fabulous and they are so much a part of who we are as America,” she exclaimed. “Innovation has been the core of what has made America great.” 

She then added that the government needs to: “Just let us build. Get out of the way. Let America do what it does. Stop hampering down what we’re doing. Regulation is there to keep people safe, it’s not to strangle us.”

Rep. Miller identified one of the most important tools that can be used to reduce emissions: American innovation. Specifically, she mentioned the role that American innovation can have in tackling climate change around the globe and in developing countries. 

“Innovation gives you freedom and these countries that have been unable to develop want to do what we’ve done and want to have the ability to do it. And why not continue to do what we do and teach them how to do it cleanly and how they can raise themselves up as well. Instead of depending upon communist countries that continue keeping them down. So it’s the freedom that we allow innovation. You have to understand and you have to grow. As we’ve made mistakes, we’ve gotten better and better and better with how we handle our natural resources as cleanly as possible and we will continue to innovate and continue to understand carbon capture and all of the different things that we need to do as we move forward, but you can’t just cut it off. Let people do what they do well and let them thrive.” 

>>>READ: Rep. Bruce Westerman: “Turn Innovators Loose to Address Climate Change”

Climate change could be especially harmful to rural communities and private property owners. But those communities will be crucial in delivering effective solutions, so it is important to have leaders with real-world experience like Rep. Miller in office. Her innovation-first, no nonsense approach to climate change will undoubtedly benefit consumers and the environment alike. 

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.