President Biden's energy crisis and the case for American energy independence

This month, gas prices nationwide are the highest they’ve been since October 2014, and President Biden’s failed energy policies are directly responsible.

Since assuming office in January, President Biden has worked with congressional Democrats to put forth Executive Orders and other policies designed to reduce access to our country’s oil and gas resources, which not only diminishes the global competitiveness of American companies and workers but has strained our ability to access the energy we need to live and work. This Administration seems to be ignoring the fact that decreasing our supply of critical energy sources like oil and gas does not decrease demand.

By cancelling the Keystone XL Pipeline, a first-of-its-kind net-zero emissions pipeline that would have safely transported crude oil throughout the United States, and declaring a moratorium on oil and natural gas leases on federal lands and waters, the Administration is throttling our energy sector and handicapping our ability to responsibly develop domestic energy resources. Perhaps even more egregiously, President Biden is further increasing our dependence on foreign countries by giving the green light for Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, banning domestic mining for rare earth and critical minerals to make us reliant on countries like China, and taxing the American energy industry into oblivion.

As the fallout from these nonsensical actions and policy decisions comes to light, namely higher energy costs paired with energy shortages across the country, the president has reached out to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and 10 other oil-exporting nations, including Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, to plead for an increase in the production of foreign oil. These calls for help have been turned down.

Not only would it be a national security concern to rely on our adversaries for our energy needs, but it would actually contribute to our ongoing climate challenges by increasing global emissions.

The United States continues to be a leader in clean energy—something we are very proud to produce here in Central Washington—but our country also produces traditional energy in a cleaner way than any other nation. Reducing our own energy production while increasing our demand for dirtier, foreign energy only means that we will be hurting our environment. In fact, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Russian natural gas exported to Europe has a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions profile 41 percent higher than U.S. liquefied natural gas exported to Europe.

We know that eliminating barriers to domestic energy production and infrastructure development will increase American economic and job growth, enhance national and energy security, reduce global emissions, and lower energy prices for American families. So, if the Biden Administration is truly concerned about energy prices for American families and believes an increase in global oil production is necessary to meet that goal, then we must reverse the disastrous energy policies that will make us dependent on countries like China and Russia.

I am proudly working in Congress to support our nation’s energy sector and strengthen our energy independence, from removing burdensome regulatory burdens on local hydropower projects to decreasing carbon emissions through innovative nuclear technology. Sadly, our president doesn’t seem to share these goals.

But now, with gas prices rising and Americans bearing the burden of President Biden’s failed energy policies, it is time for him to recognize we need to work together to ensure that Americans and our allies around the globe have access to affordable, reliable energy that will reduce — not increase — global emissions.