Representative John McGuire, a Republican from Virginia, said on Washington Watch this week that increased energy production in the U.S. could benefit Americans while also reducing Russian influence overseas.
Tensions remain high between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in President Donald Trump calling Vladamir Putin crazy on Truth Social last weekend. This was in response to the third-straight night that Russia attacked Ukraine cities, like Kyiv, with drones and missiles that resulted in 12 dead and many more injured.
It’s the largest aerial assault seen from Russia since February 2022.
McGuire, shown at right, recalls back when he campaigned for Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District.
“I listened to what world leaders had to say about Ukraine and Russia, and they all had something different to say. One leader that stood out was President Trump. He said, ‘I just want people to stop dying,’” he told show host Tony Perkins.
McGuire says Trump’s efforts to end the war are obvious, but neither leader is meeting him half-way.
“He's working really hard to try to negotiate with Zelensky and Putin, but as you can see, it seems like it's escalating. President Trump is the art of the deal; however, either side doesn't seem like they want to give.”
It appears Russia is continuing to make headway in its military goals.
“In the last couple of days, Putin has gained more ground,” McGuire said. “He's fighting a war of attrition, and if you look at how many artillery shells he's making, it would take him three, four, five years to take over all of Ukraine if we did nothing.”
Putin must be stopped, McGuire said.
“As a Christian, I think life is precious. It's a miracle, and it must be protected. It’s a messy war, and people are dying on both sides. It's something that's not productive for the world.”
Putin is a bully who took advantage of a void of American leadership during Joe Biden’s administration, McGuire said.
“You saw under President Trump's first administration none of these foreign wars and strong leadership.”
That’s certainly how Trump sees it.
“This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War, not Trump’s. I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires that have been started through Gross Incompetence and Hatred.”
Attacking Putin with U.S. energy
U.S. energy production can change the landscape by cutting into Russian energy sector profits, McGuire said.
The U.S. enjoyed energy independence during Trump’s first term.
“The first thing Biden did was he cut the Keystone Pipeline. Instead of making money on energy, we were spending money on energy with countries that don't support the United States or our goals,”
McGuire said.
The Keystone Pipeline is a petroleum-transport system based in North America that is devised to transport bitumen and synthetic crude oil from Alberta, Canada, to other places in Canada and the U.S. These petroleum products can then be converted into oil and gas for consumer use after the product is easily transported through the pipeline.
Controversy surrounds the pipeline as one side argues that the pipeline will cause environmental damage, and the other side argues that the pipeline will bring more domestic jobs and revenue as well as decreased oil-dependence on other nations.
After the shutdown of expansion from President Barrack Obama, Trump renewed interest in the pipeline and granted a permit for expansion in March 2019 before it was ultimately revoked by President Joe Biden when he entered office.
If the House and Senate can agree on the budget reconciliation package, energy independence could return.
“Now that Trump is back in office, America is in place to take back its energy production because of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, taking money away from Russia and bringing America ahead in energy production. We are fast approaching and doing everything we can make America not just energy independent, but energy dominant,” McGuire said.
Other sources, such as Mike Sommer, president and CEO of American Petroleum Institute, agree that the bill is a step in the right direction into making America energy dominant in the future.
However, that is not the only bill related to America’s energy.
Easing the path for uranium use
According to McGuire, uranium plays an important part in the nation’s nuclear capacity. It is responsible for fueling 32% of Virginia’s electricity. However, uranium is not a critical mineral, forcing consumers to look to foreign entities for the elements as regulations hinder America’s ability to produce it.
“Right now, the majority, which is about 70%-80%, of the world's uranium is mined and processed in Russia or China,” he said.
McGuire in February introduced the Uranium for Energy independence Act of 2025, legislation that will list uranium as one of the critical minerals under the United States Geological Survey. The bill helps to further Trump’s America First agenda in regard to the U.S. energy dominance and opens the door for more uranium use.
“That will allow the U.S. to use federal land for uranium,” McGuire explains. “We should not be getting these important, critical minerals from countries that don't like us.”
