Congressman Dan Meuser, who represents Pennsylvania’s 9th congressional district, made several statements on February 12, 2026, regarding recent federal actions and political developments. Through a series of posts on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Meuser addressed issues ranging from the importation of Venezuelan oil to ongoing government funding negotiations.
In a post at 12:54 p.m., Meuser announced his upcoming appearance on Fox Business’s Varney & Co. to discuss President Biden’s decision to allow the import of Venezuelan oil for refining in Houston and regulatory policies affecting Americans. He wrote, “Coming up at 9:15am, I’ll be joining Varney & Co. on @FoxBusiness to discuss @POTUS’s announcement that 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil are headed to Houston for refining, and how reversing the Endangerment Finding could save Americans $1.3 trillion in costly regulations.” The “Endangerment Finding” refers to an EPA determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare—a finding that underpins various climate-related regulations.
Later in the day, at 3:49 p.m., Meuser criticized Democratic lawmakers over stalled budget talks that could impact federal workers’ paychecks. He stated, “.@FEMA , the @USCG, @TSA, and others should not miss a paycheck because Democrats refuse to negotiate on common-sense funding provisions. Once again, they are threatening a government shutdown for political leverage. I’d support a short-term CR for two, three, or even four weeks”. Here “CR” refers to a continuing resolution—a temporary measure used by Congress to fund the government when formal appropriations have not been enacted.
At 4:59 p.m., Meuser returned to the topic of Venezuelan oil during his television appearance recap. He commented on changing U.S.-Venezuela relations and energy policy: “This morning on @Varneyco, I explained why the sale of Venezuelan oil under @POTUS is good for PA and good for our country. Just weeks ago, Venezuela was isolated under a narco-terrorist regime. Today, with strong U.S. leadership and cooperation, Venezuelan oil production is”.
The context behind these statements includes ongoing debates about U.S. energy security and environmental regulation as well as repeated threats of federal government shutdowns due to partisan disagreements over spending bills. In recent years—including throughout multiple administrations—Congress has frequently relied on short-term continuing resolutions (CRs) to avoid lapses in government funding while negotiating longer-term agreements (https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59092). The importation of Venezuelan oil marks a shift in U.S.-Venezuela relations after years of sanctions aimed at isolating Venezuela’s government due to concerns about corruption and human rights abuses (https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-eases-oil-sanctions-venezuela-after-deal-opposition-2023-10-18).
Meuser’s remarks reflect ongoing Republican criticism of both regulatory approaches toward climate change and Democratic negotiation tactics during budget impasses.
