Nearly $100.00 to gas up a family-sized sedan in today’s inflation driven economy - sadly, that’s the new reality. On the fuel pump, I saw a sticker of the president pointing to the total with “I did that!” written in red letters.
The truth hurts and large numbers of voters hold the president and Democrat leaders in Congress mostly responsible for record-high energy prices. What’s even worse is how the Biden White House and Congress show no signs of taking substantive steps to lower energy prices, despite the pain felt by working families.
As much as President Biden and his team of enablers want to push the blame on Vladimir Putin, COVID-19, and any other newsy issue of the day, this administration carries the blame for the spike in gas prices and historic inflation.
This administration terminated the Keystone XL Pipeline, halted new oil and gas leases, and decided to neglect investment into the energy industry—other than investing time into destroying domestic production.
It’s been a problem that’s been boiling since the day he entered the Oval Office, and now it’s spilling over. Recently, the national gas price average surpassed $5 for the first time in our history, with places in California hitting as high as $6.43. For comparison, gas was $2.39 a gallon the month President Biden was sworn in.
I’m old enough to remember when gas prices hitting $3 a gallon in 2011 was a budget-busting catastrophe for families across the country. At times, that now feels like the good ole days. Putting gas in your car isn’t a luxury for most people. It’s a necessity. For families already struggling to pay bills, find affordable housing, and buy groceries under record-shattering inflation levels, expensive gas can push their budgets—and their security—over the edge.
One of the more concerning issues to come of this energy crisis is the growing use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, which attempts to cut off capital for energy companies through political bullying and government overreach. This has created an artificial shortage of oil and gas, rising prices, and a national security risk by requiring increased reliance on foreign oil.
Despite repeatedly calling for more supply in oil and gas to combat the prices at the pump, even going so far as to send a hostile letter to oil and gas companies, the administration continues to prioritize the political agenda of the radical Left over the needs of the American people—and they’re noticing.
In a recent poll, more than 80 percent of likely voters expressed concern over the increasing cost of electricity. Half would like to see an increase in domestic production to bring down fuel costs, including starting up the Keystone XL Pipeline again, drilling in ANWR, and expanding offshore oil drilling. Alarmingly, two-thirds of those polled expressed concern about their ability to pay all their monthly expenses.
It should come as no surprise that combating climate change isn’t the No. 1 issue when families can barely afford to feed themselves.
Our nation is in crisis, and we need our leaders to be taking commonsense measures to combat inflation, not taking their marching orders from the radical Left. This includes removing the stranglehold the administration has on the energy industry and reforming the regulatory process so that Congress—and therefore the people—have to approve and have more oversight over the costliest rules coming out of this administration (and future administrations).
Opening America up to domestic production again, reducing our dependency on hostile nations, and eliminating ESG requirements in investments will go a long way in providing relief at the pump—and more security for families across the country.
Katie Rodgers is the vice president of outreach and government affairs at the Foundation for Government Accountability