Small Businesses Can’t Handle Another Four Years Of A Democrat-Run IRS
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the IRS has become an unaccountable, we’ll-do-as-we-damn-well-please bully.
The Chevron Corporation announced Friday that it plans to relocate its headquarters, which are currently located in California, to Texas.
The company stated that its senior leaders, including Chevron chairman and CEO Mike Wirth and Vice Chairman Mark Nelson, will move to Houston by the end of 2024.
'Difficult place to invest.'
The relocation should not immediately impact its employees based in San Ramon, the site of its current headquarters. However, according to a company press release, Chevron plans to move "all corporate functions" to Houston over the next five years.
"Positions in support of the company's California operations will remain in San Ramon," Chevron stated.
The company already has approximately 7,000 employees based in Houston and roughly 2,000 in San Ramon.
A December report from Fortune explained that Chevron was decreasing its oil-refinery investments in California, citing an "adversarial business climate."
Andy Walz, president of Chevron's Americas Products business, said at the time, "California's policies have made it a difficult place to invest so we have rejected capital projects in the state."
A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) told the Daily Caller News Foundation, "This announcement is the logical culmination of a long process that has repeatedly been foreshadowed by Chevron."
"We're proud of California's place as the leading creator of clean energy jobs – a critical part of our diverse, innovative, and vibrant economy," the spokesperson added.
Many businesses have decided to pack their bags and head to red states over California's progressive policies.
Last month, Musk announced plans to move both SpaceX and X headquarters to Texas after Democrats passed AB1955, a law prohibiting schools from requiring parental notification regarding their children's gender and sexual orientation.
Musk wrote on X, "This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas."
In a separate post, he said, "And 𝕏 HQ will move to Austin."
"Have had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building," he added.
Musk already moved Tesla headquarters to Austin earlier this year.
Several insurance carriers have also fled the state.
In response to Chevron's announcement, Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote on X, "WELCOME HOME Chevron! Texas is your true home. Drill baby drill."
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Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy grilled John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the National Security Council, on Monday over the Biden administration's decision to permit Chevron to drill in Venezuela.
Over the holiday weekend, the Biden administration granted California-based Chevron a license to resume drilling operations in Venezuela.
The license is good for six months and requires the Venezuelan regime to continue good-faith negotiations on holding free and fair elections. The development is a partial rollback of Trump-era sanctions. But top American leaders made it clear those sanctions will be implemented again if President Nicolás Maduro’s government reneges on its part of the deal.
At the White House press briefing, Doocy asked Kirby about the hypocritical nature of Biden's decision.
On one hand, approving oil drilling in Venezuela seemingly takes away from American oil companies, whose drilling and the revenue it generates would benefit the U.S. On the other hand, if Biden wants to stop oil drilling because of climate change, why is drilling in Venezuela acceptable?
"Why is it that President Biden would rather let U.S. companies drill for oil in Venezuela than here in the U.S.?" Doocy first asked.
Kirby responded by claiming Doocy's question is "not an accurate take on the president’s view." But Doocy used Biden's own words — in which earlier this month he promised "no more drilling" — to show that it is, in fact, Biden's view.
But instead of responding to the substance of Doocy's point, Kirby regurgitated a debunked talking point that oil companies are not using thousands of already-approved oil permits.
"The president has issued 9,000 permits for drilling on U.S. federal lands — 9,000 of them are being unused," Kirby said.
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and John Kirby youtu.be
"Does the president think there’s some benefit to the climate to drill oil in Venezuela and not here?" Doocy followed up.
But again, Kirby did not directly answer, instead claiming the development "has nothing to do" with the climate, despite Democrats emphatically claiming that oil drilling impacts the climate.
"Again, there are 9,000 unused permits here in the United States on federal land that oil and gas companies can and should take advantage of — 9,000. And we’re talking about one there in Venezuela," Kirby excused.
It is not true that Biden has issued 9,000 permits for oil and gas drilling on federal lands. That number, in fact, comprises permits issued under Biden and former President Donald Trump.
But it is also not true that just because an oil company is not immediately drilling where a permit has been approved that companies are not working to utilize them. A lease approval indeed does not even mean the land for which a lease has been approved will reliably produce oil.
But if the land is suitable for oil production, companies have to find, acquire, and develop that oil — a process that includes more regulatory red tape.
President Joe Biden mocked Chevron CEO Michael Wirth on Tuesday after the oil executive denounced Biden for vilifying oil companies.
Chevron sent Biden a letter Tuesday in response to one that Biden executives sent seven oil companies last week.
In Biden's letter, the president threatened to use "emergency authorities" if the companies do not comply with demands to increase production.
But according to Wirth, Chevron is producing more oil today than at any other point in company history, thus deflating the charge that oil companies are not working hard enough as gas prices remain at record highs. After outlining Chevron's production numbers and its investments, Wirth took aim at Biden.
"[Y]our Administration has largely sought to criticize, and at times vilify, our industry," Wirth said. "These actions are not beneficial to meeting the challenges we face and are not what the American people deserve."
The solution to the ongoing crisis, Wirth explained, "requires thoughtful action and a willingness to work together, not political rhetoric." Wirth, therefore, suggested that bringing down gas prices and increasing oil supply "will require a change in approach" from Biden.
"The U.S. energy sector needs cooperation and support from your Administration for our country to return to a path toward greater energy security, economic prosperity, and environmental protection," Wirth wrote. "We need clarity and consistency on policy matters ranging from leases and permits on federal lands, to the ability to permit and build critical infrastructure, to the proper role of regulation that considers both costs and benefits."
The president was asked about Wirth's letter at the White House Tuesday afternoon.
"He’s mildly sensitive," Biden said of Wirth. "I didn’t know they’d get their feelings hurt that quickly.
"Look, we need more refining capacity. This idea that they don’t have oil to drill and to bring up is simply not true," he continued. "We ought to be able to work something out whereby they’re able to increase refining capacity and still not give up on transitioning to renewable energy."
\u201cReporter: "The Chevron CEO... said that your administration has largely criticized the oil and gas industry and ...would need to take a change in approach in order to make progress in reducing energy prices."\n\nBiden: "I didn't know they'd get their feelings hurt that quickly."\u201d— Washington Free Beacon (@Washington Free Beacon) 1655841951
In response to a question about Biden's remarks, a Chevron spokesperson told TheBlaze that Wirth is "looking forward" to a meeting with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday.
The spokesman added that Wirth "is hopeful for a constructive conversation about actions to address the near-term issues and longer-term stability of energy markets."