The Biden administration canceled the seven remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) on Wednesday.
As Joe Biden's handlers explained in a social media post:
"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. There's more to do, but we’re taking action to meet the moment for future generations."
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil remain underneath the frozen tundra of the ANWR north slope’s refuge.The decision to terminate leases issued under President Donald Trump follows Biden’s executive order in March to cut off another 16 million acres of Alaskan territory from oil and gas development.
“Once again, the Biden administration has shown it cares nothing about following the law when it comes to its climate crusade,” Rick Whitbeck, the Alaska State Director for Power the Future, told The Federalist. “Canceling fully-executed leases and putting congressionally-authorized development areas off-limits only weakens America’s domestic energy situation. You have to wonder who is pulling the strings: OPEC? Russia? China?”
Whenever oil prices rise due to their policies, Team Biden routinely turns to Middle Eastern nations to ramp up oil production.
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on social media: "The Biden admin is driving up the cost of gas on purpose. They want to force Americans to buy EVs by making gas and diesel unaffordable. They don’t care if you go broke in the process. They will force your compliance to their communist manifesto, the Green New Deal."
Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy slammed the ANWR decision: “Federal agencies don’t get to rewrite laws, and that is exactly what the Department of the Interior is trying to do here. We will fight for Alaska’s right to develop its own resources and will be turning to the courts to correct the Biden administration’s wrong.”
Fox Business host and former Trump administration official Larry Kudlow blasted decision, saying that the latest energy policy aides Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, and is "sheer insanity."
"Biden is … playing into the hands of some of the worst actors in the world. I’ve never seen anything… and damaging, obviously, consumers and businesses here at home," said Kudlow, adding "This is insanity. Sheer insanity."
West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin also slammed the Biden administration: "This is yet another example of this administration caving to the radical left with no regard for clear direction from Congress or American energy security. Let’s be clear — this is another attempt to use executive action to circumvent a law to accomplish what this administration does not have the votes to achieve in Congress."
Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan said, “Not only is this an affront to the rule of law, it’s also a grave injustice to the Inupiat people of the North Slope, especially the people of Kaktovik — the only village in ANWR.”
Sullivan told reporters on Capitol Hill that Biden officials “love to talk about racial equity, racial justice, environmental justice, taking care of people of color, but one big exception — the Indigenous people of Alaska. They screw ’em every time.”
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