Oklahoma U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice says it’s time the President end the federal freeze on all new oil and gas projects and let the U.S. return to being a top energy-producer in the world.
In a column this week, the Republican Congresswoman called for Biden to “unleash domestic energy to remove Putin’s leverage on Europe and drive down gas prices.”
Before President Biden took office, our country was energy independent. In 2019, we became a net total energy exporter for the first time since 1952. The United States was not reliant on foreign adversaries for our energy needs. Instead, we were producing clean, affordable, and secure energy to fuel our nation. We were a stronger America.
Now, we are looking at a very different America. On day one, Biden enacted numerous anti-domestic energy policies and we are currently witnessing the devastating effects of his actions. Gas prices recently hit the highest price in our nation’s history, and we are facing an energy war with Vladimir Putin.
There is no doubt that Biden’s decisions to block U.S. domestic energy production and increase energy imports from Russia contributed to the crisis we are facing, both globally and domestically. These policies have made our nation less secure while lining the pockets of Russian oligarchs and boosting their economy at the expense of our own.
While it is true that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing prices at the pump to increase, if we had remained energy independent, Americans would be facing less severe repercussions. In fact, the Russian invasion of Ukraine turned Biden’s energy problems into a full-blown crisis. In light of this crisis, Republicans have continuously urged Biden to resume domestic energy production. Instead, he chose to tap into the emergency-use Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) which barely provided a temporary fix and did nothing to address the root causes of the issue.
Instead of unleashing American energy at home to provide stable relief while keeping our nation secure, Biden is considering turning toward other foreign producers. We should not look toward our adversaries when Americans can solve the problem. Right here in Oklahoma, we have the capability, the ingenuity, and the work ethic to be a part of the solution; the federal government just has to get out of the way of our progress.
The American people are tired of Democrats shifting the blame, relying on foreign enemies, and ignoring the real cause of crushing gas prices. We must unleash domestic energy to remove Putin’s leverage on Europe and drive down gas prices. It is urgent that President Biden immediately end the federal freeze on all new oil and gas projects, fast-track pending LNG export permits, expedite approval of all pipeline and energy development, and stop the regulatory assault on American energy development and financing.
We should no longer be beholden to far-left, out-of-touch policies. Americans need tangible and immediate solutions to this energy crisis. We need an all-of-the-above approach and cannot rely on just one energy source. This administration’s policies are failing our nation by stifling what America does best, which is producing the cleanest oil and gas in the world. Energy security is national security, and under this administration, we have neither.
Source: Bice release