Gov. Abbott says Texas to sue Biden over oil regulations

ODESSA, Texas -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday signaled that the state plans to sue the Biden administration over executive orders it issued this week imposing new regulations on the energy industry in a sweeping move to combat climate change.

Abbott's comments came after he held a roundtable discussion in Odessa on the significant economic impact of oil and gas production in Texas.

"We're here for a singular purpose today," Abbott told reporters following the meeting with industry leaders. "I'm in Midland-Odessa to make clear that Texas is going to protect the oil and gas industry from any type of hostile attack launched from Washington D.C."

The governor said state agencies were currently researching litigation options to challenge President Joe Biden's new environmental rules.

"Texas is not going to stand idly by and watch the Biden administration kill jobs in Midland, in Odessa or any other place across the entire region," Abbott said.

He vowed that Texas would pursue an aggressive legal strategy against the Biden administration much like he did against the Obama administration while serving as Texas attorney general. During his tenure, Abbott noted that he sued the Obama White House over 30 times - most of those suits revolving around environmental regulations opposed by the Texas oil and gas industry.

(The Texas Tribune contributed to this report.)