However, the lie has not been allowed to go on, and ten organizations have joined together to expose the truth behind the energy crisis.
In response, more than a dozen local organizations from across the country released an open letter to Joe Biden in which they debunked his argument that fossil fuel firms were to blame for the energy crisis because they were greedy and tried to gouge customers during a time of scarcity.
The letter begins by expressing support for Biden’s efforts to penalize Putin for his unlawful war against the Ukrainian people, which has had an influence on the price of oil and gas. As a consequence, sections of his administration have pressured oil and gas firms in the United States to improve production, but there is a problem preventing them from doing so…his administration:
“However, the words and actions of you and members of your administration pose a major stumbling block to unity”
“It’s also unfortunate that you and your administration have continuously mischaracterized facts about our industry – often maligning our intentions, and in some cases, completely and utterly fabricating things.”
“For example, you stated that oil companies should be drilling now since we have over 9,000 permits that are approved, which is a misleading statement. More about this below. Also, just the previous Friday, you claimed that firms “prefer to take those profits and buy their own stock back rather than invest it in pumping new oil.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Pres., how do you know what motivates the decisions of the oil companies?”
The letter also details Biden’s administration’s attempts to stifle oil and gas production in the state, including his early antagonism toward it. This includes blaming US oil and gas for climate change, which is incorrect given China and Russia’s poor environmental standards, as well as Biden’s statements that oil and gas production in the United States has to come to an end.
“Surely, in your 40 years of government service, you’ve learned that words and actions by government officials influence business decisions,” reads the letter.
The group’s statement criticizes Biden’s hostility toward their organizations and associations, dating back to 2019 when he stated that his administration would not welcome their businesses or groups into the United States, and kept his word by cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline on day one.
They made it absolutely clear for Biden and any other readers:
“There should be no misunderstanding: you have exhibited strong animosity toward the oil and natural gas sector – and by extension, to the thousands of hardworking men and women who supply energy to the country – since you first began campaigning for, and after becoming, President.”
“Given all we’ve said so far, along with the numerous misstatements and half-truths that have come from White House officials, we believe it’s critical to set the record straight and provide some context on statements about energy production on federal lands and elsewhere.”
The associations see this as a victory in the war on misinformation, because oil and gas companies have been operating under leases since they were issued in 1950. To ensure he and any other readers are clear on Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s assertion that oil and gas firms do not utilize leases, they note that there are several issues yet preventing them from drilling and producing.
For example, because of environmentalist litigation, government red tape, and a lack of adequate oil and gas to start drilling, leases are going unused. They also point out that there are currently 4,621 permits from the Dept. of the Interior’s Land Management Bureau on hold awaiting approval by Biden’s administration.
“So, yes Mr. Pres., your administration is “hindering the sector,” in direct contradiction to your claims last week that it is not,” the letter adds.
Biden’s administration, on the other hand, is promoting policies that will directly harm producers and the oil and gas industry. For example, Biden’s government has worked with environmental activists to grief producers; halted businesses with active leases from drilling on the land; and caused difficulty for firms looking for the capital to drill on the land, especially for smaller companies spending too much just attempting to cut through red tape.
In the end, the firms make it clear that energy independence is attainable; only an overbearing government stands in their way, and at the top of it is Joe Biden.