Joe Biden says the oil industry is in his political crosshairs and he’d pull the trigger on day one of his presidency if elected.
The former vice president told voters Sunday evening that he would find a way to kill off the oil industry if they give him a victory over President Trump — a stark contrast to the pro-exploration administration currently in the White House.
“No more subsidies for the fossil fuel industry,” the Democratic Party’s front-runner said in his CNN debate with opponent Sen. Bernard Sanders. “No more drilling on federal lands. No more drilling, including offshore. No ability for the oil industry to continue to drill, period. Ends.”
The White House, in contrast, has touted a record on oil and natural gas exploration that it says has ushered in the “golden era of American energy.”
A sampling of bullet points highlighted on the White House website include:
- “Crude oil exports nearly doubled in 2018, reaching a record average of 2 million barrels a day.”
- “Crude oil production hit a record high last year, leaping past the previous record set in 1970. “
- “Coal exports reached their highest level in five years in 2018.”
- “Under President Trump, the United States has become a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957.”
Mr. Biden said his policy would be part of a larger plan to combat climate change around the world.
“We need someone who could deal internationally,” he said from the network’s Washington studios. “We need someone who can bring the world together again. We need someone who could move in a direction where, in fact, if [nations] violate the commitment [they] make, [they] will pay an economic price.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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