Biden cancels even more leases (May 17): Even as President Joe Biden blames others for today’s outrageously high energy prices, he continues his jihad against domestic fossil fuel production . As Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) put it, Biden’s policies are “just awful.”
Last week, Biden canceled two planned oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. His administration also gave clear signals that it will allow the nationwide, five-year offshore drilling program to lapse in June without a legally mandated replacement plan anywhere near readiness. This would be a terrible dereliction of a legal duty in any circumstances, but in a time when the national average for a gallon of gasoline is nearing $4.50 , it also is economic malpractice for both short-term and long-term national needs.
“Unfortunately, this is becoming a pattern,” Frank Macchiarola, a senior vice president at the American Petroleum Institute, told the Washington Examiner. “The administration talks about the need for more supply and acts to restrict it.” ….
Canadian leader wonders why Biden favors dictators’ oil over Western production (May 18): Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney together used a May 17 Capitol Hill hearing to eviscerate President Joe Biden’s policies on energy production.
The first topic was Biden’s economically and environmentally senseless killing of the Keystone XL pipeline. In answer to the senator’s questions, Kenney said that killing the pipeline will make it more difficult and expensive to move Canadian oil to U.S. refineries and that the oil that is still moved will instead be forced to go by train or truck, which is “less environmentally friendly.”
When asked by Barrasso if Biden’s decision “increased costs, harmed the environment, and added to our supply-chain troubles,” Kenney said, “I think that’s a reasonable conclusion.”… Kenney said, “We find it inexplicable that the government of the United States has been more focused on encouraging additional OPEC production than Canadian production.” …
