President Joe Biden announced late Wednesday night that his administration is ending a number of gas and oil leases in the Arctic.
My Administration is canceling all remaining oil and gas leases issued under the last administration in the Arctic Refuge and proposing to protect 13 million acres in the Western Arctic.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 7, 2023
There's more to do, but we’re taking action to meet the moment for future generations.
The announcement comes as gas prices across the country near an average of $4 per gallon and as Saudi Arabia cuts back on oil production.
"If President Biden is truly concerned about the rising cost of energy, he should brush up on the basic laws of supply and demand. Cancelling these leases, after Saudi Arabia and Russia announced production cuts this week, will only raise prices at the pump. President Biden says he cares about working class Americans, but this move proves all he really cares about is appeasing his green donors," American Energy Alliance President Thomas Pyle released in response to the move.
"Alaskans can be trusted to be good stewards of their environmental resources. They broadly support new development within their state. This federal overreach will stifle their economy and cost jobs. Senator Murkowski and Senator Sullivan should insist on reversing this action in the upcoming budget negotiations," he continued.
Before the 2022 midterm elections, President Joe Biden repeatedly tapped and depleted the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to keep prices under control.
Biden drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to just 18 days’ worth of supplies. https://t.co/xIC7dA0dMM pic.twitter.com/qQqrI22qXD
— GOP (@GOP) September 6, 2023