OPINION:
President Biden proudly touts his determination to go all-in on renewable energy. A secret he would like to keep, though, is the harmful effect of his energy policies on U.S. consumers’ finances. The pain is enumerated on the signage of gas stations from coast to coast, signaling to drivers the return of the dismal days seven years ago when the “progressive” Obama-Biden administration subjected them to the same financial strain. That’s no progress.
On Friday, Mr. Biden appeared before the White House press corps to defend a report showing the addition of 194,000 jobs in September fell far short of the 500,000 expected. Then, squinting toward the future, the president plugged his $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill as the needed spark to a sluggish employment market.
“It’s going to help us meet the moment on climate change and become a global leader in the fast-growing industry of things like solar and wind power,” said Mr. Biden. “The whole world knows that the future of the auto industry is electric, electric—battery technology. We need to make sure America builds that future instead of falling behind. We should build those vehicles and the batteries that go into them. And the charging stations they’re going to need.”
There are currently about 290 million vehicles on U.S. roads, and about 98 percent of them run on fossil fuels. Americans will need them to get around for the foreseeable future, but the president wants to push them all to the curb ASAP.
Elections matter and Americans are witnessing the consequences of their ballots for Joe Biden. On Inauguration Day, the new president signed an executive order killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline and soon afterward, moved to block new drilling on federal lands.
The U.S. oil industry has seen the handwriting on the wall, and the effect has led to a slump in domestic oil production from a high of 13 million barrels a day in March 2020 to the current level of 11.3 million barrels a day. Tighter supply has caused the cost of a gallon to skyrocket by more than $1.08 during the past year, topping $4.44 in the “green” state of California.
Last week, a Quinnipiac poll found that 55 percent of voters disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy and an equal proportion believe he is not competent in running the government. Americans shouldn’t subsequently conclude, though, that his policies that inflict pain on drivers are an accident. To the contrary: Mr. Biden intends to wean drivers off historically affordable fossil-fueled transportation and force them into electric vehicles powered by expensive solar and wind.
It is embittering to relive the painful gas past. That’s why wherever citizens gather in large numbers, chants break out of “[eff] Joe Biden” or the G-rated equivalent, “Let’s go, Brandon.” When bitten, Americans bite back.
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