The announcement was made at 10:52 pm on September 6, 2023, and the ramifications could be very expensive for people at the pump.
“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,” read President Biden’s statement on X (formerly twitter.)
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.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 7, 2023
The President’s declaration comes as the average gallon of gas is getting very close to $4 a gallon.
“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.
Ramping up to the 2022 midterms Biden tapped out the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to keep prices as low as possible.
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
Biden was gambling that after the midterms, things would calm down. He didn’t count on OPEC deciding that they are going lower production.
