MIDLAND, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott has been making his rounds across the state of Texas. During a stop in Midland Tuesday, Abbott received a few endorsements for his re-election bid, and he also discussed the impact the energy sector has on jobs in the state.
"Maybe most important as we gather in Midland today, more Texans have a job than ever before in the history of our great state," Abbott said.
Ask Abbott, or anyone in the Permian Basin, and they'll tell you that the energy industry reigns supreme in the state.
"We all know that energy is the centerpiece of Texas, and there’s about a million jobs that are represented by the energy sector in the great state of Texas," Abbott said. "These are high paying jobs, high paying jobs who have made Texas and America energy independent."
Abbott also vowed to prevent anyone, on any level of government, from doing anything that would damage the industry and the jobs that come with it.
"Texas will not allow leftists, such as President Biden or Beto O’Rourke, to destroy the energy sector by crushing the high paying jobs that we have in Midland, Odessa and the Permian Basin," Abbott said.
According to Abbott, it's the oil and gas industry that has allowed the state to become an economic powerhouse.
"Over the course of the past two years, Texas has moved from being the 10th largest economy in the entire world to where we are today," Abbott said. "As we gather in Midland today, Texas now has the 9th largest economy in the entire world."