OPINION:
America should not sanction Russian energy unless we open up our domestic oil and gas sector. Sanctions alone will not necessarily slow the Russian war machine, but Russian sanctions without increasing American production will harm Americans.
If you were the American president, how would you choose to deter American consumption of Russian oil and gas? Would you do it in a way that harms the United States?
President Biden is preventing America from buying Russian oil in order to stop us from funding the Ukrainian invasion. Mr. Biden is trying to replace Russian oil and gas by buying it from tyrannical regimes that hate the United States. Would you prefer to prop up the Iranian or Venezuelan dictatorships by purchasing their oil?
If you were Mr. Biden would you insist that Americans replace our dependence on Russian fossil fuels with electric cars?
The alternative, of course, is to quit sanctioning American oil and gas development. By encouraging the production of clean American energy, we reduce dependence on Russia and bring down prices for American consumers. It’s a twofer!
Mr. Biden has chosen to harm America.
When Mr. Biden became the president he began dismantling America’s energy sector. That was a campaign promise he had made to the wild-eyed leftists who supported him. You have to give him his due. Mr. Biden has masterfully reduced America’s domestic supply of energy.
Of course, his and the left’s obsession with American oil and gas has dismantled the American economy. Gas and oil are at historic highs. Those high prices are providing the technical problem of price increases on the entire basket of goods that Americans consume.
Prices are up around the globe as well.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently said about the sanctions, “But there are big loopholes, and Europe still is buying natural gas and still will for another year.”
While Europe continues to fund the Russian war against Ukraine, the American economy is strangled by our imposition of sanctions.
Our “compassionate” leaders insist upon sanctions that our allies are undermining.
In the meantime, the Biden administration has projected weakness around the globe and a let-them-eat-cake attitude toward the American people.
Upon imposition of oil and gas sanctions, Mr. Biden went hat-in-hand to the dictators of the world who have tremendous oil and gas production capabilities.
The ruthless dictator of Venezuela told us to pound sand. Our purported friends, the UAE and the Saudis did likewise. And China and India are replacing the U.S. in buying Russian oil.
The “compassionate” Democrat leaders have concluded that the solution for American consumers is to buy an electric vehicle because they promise no relief until America is sufficiently reliant on unreliable “clean” energy like wind and solar.
The solution for any rational leader who loves this country is to open up America’s oil and gas energy. Gaining energy independence means that we no longer need dirty, Russian oil and gas. It also reduces the price of gas at the pump because the commodity would be abundant. That would make it cheap. And, that would benefit our economy.
American energy independence would have the same net effect as sanctions on purchasing Russian oil and gas. In both instances, we quit supplying Russia with U.S. dollars.
The wise American leader would unleash our resources to deprive Russia of its war money while benefiting Americans. Unfortunately, Mr. Biden isn’t wise.
• U.S. Representative Andy Biggs represents Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District.
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