Americans witnessed an economic boom unlike any other in our nation’s history under President Donald Trump, whose presidency was marked by record low unemployment rates and robust job creation, massive deregulations for American businesses and workers, historic trade deals that put America first, prioritization of energy independence, a secured southern border, modernization of the military by establishing the U.S. Space Force, and a future of increased opportunity and greater promise for all Americans. Now, just over one year after President Biden assumed office, inflation has reached a nearly 40-year high, gas and energy prices have more than doubled, violent crime rates have inundated cities across the nation, and foreign countries like Russia and China are rising to dominance in an effort to threaten democracy.
President Joe Biden and his administration’s liberal agenda and socialist policies are solely to blame for the turmoil that has become our new reality. Specifically, President Biden’s abrupt decision to cease production of American fossil fuels signaled to the world his willful lack of concern for energy independence. Within hours of his inauguration, Biden signed a series of executive orders that forced his radical climate agenda on the American people. He killed the Keystone XL Pipeline, rejoined the Paris Climate Accord to add new regulations and increase oil costs, directed the Environmental Protection Agency to review all regulations and policies by the Trump administration, and terminated new oil and gas leases on federal land and waters, further restricting national production and driving steep inflation at the pump. President Biden also supported removing sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, giving Russia a competitive advantage in oil access and pricing. The United States today is producing around one million barrels of oil a day less than we were in 2019, an alarming statistic that directly demonstrates the extremist path taken by the current Democrat administration to diminish American energy security.
Alabamians are feeling the effects of President Biden’s socialist climate agenda right here at home as gas prices in the state have reached historic highs. The people of Alabama are currently paying nearly double at the gas pump what they were a year ago. This has significantly affected working Alabama families and individuals, especially those who are living on fixed incomes. People across the state are struggling to afford everyday items and necessities, and this is a direct result of the irrational policies imposed by the Biden administration.
The President warns Americans that gas and energy prices will continue to climb, placing the blame on anyone but himself. He will tell you that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is what’s driving up oil prices. Prior to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, working American families were paying about 30 percent more at the gas pump than they were last year, and just this week, national average gas prices hit an all-time high of over $4.10 per gallon. If you look back in history, the times when we achieved energy independence were the times when gas was affordable and we could withstand commodity price shock. In actuality, liberal policies are at fault for constantly increasing gas prices. Democrat leaders want to follow in the footsteps of European officials, bowing to climate activists and forcing socialist policies on Americans like substituting unreliable and costly renewable energy for oil and gas. If we continue down a resembling path, we will find ourselves excessively reliant on Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other hostile nations for oil.
American energy independence delivers more affordable and reliable energy to our families, but it also strengthens our position in an increasingly volatile world. Now is not the time to erase decades of progress; President Biden must open back up our energy sector and reinstate our energy independence. While the President should be working to implement ‘America First’ policies, he is instead actively working against the oil and gas industry, hurting both producers and consumers. Although Biden’s America is our current reality, it does not stand a chance against the flood of exasperated voters who will take their dissatisfaction to the polls in November.
Will Ainsworth is the lieutenant governor of Alabama
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