Running on Empty: Obama Administration Does Nothing to Address Skyrocketing Gas Prices

Topics:  President Barack Obama

Congressman John Boehner
April 27, 2011

According to a new Washington Post/ABC News survey out today, more than seven in 10 Americans are suffering financial hardship from skyrocketing gas prices. While the new House majority is taking steps to address gas prices and help create jobs with the American Energy Initiative, the Obama Administrations anti-energy policies are driving up prices and threatening our economy by: 

• Blocking American Energy Production. In addition to the Obama Administrations job-crushing de facto moratorium on U.S. energy production in the Gulf, the EPA is withholding permits to block U.S. energy production in Alaska.  As Fox News reports, the EPAs action has eliminated access to an estimated 27 billion barrels of oil. Production on the North Slope of Alaska is declining at a rate of about 7 percent a year. If the volume gets much lower, pipeline officials say they will have to shut it down. Alaska officials are blasting the Environmental Protection Agency. Its driving investment and production overseas, said Alaskas DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan. That doesnt help the United States in any way, shape or form. Because of the Obama Administrations de facto moratorium, American energy production is already 16 percent lower than what it was projected to be, and future projections show continued decreases in domestic production and more foreign imports. 

• Recycling Debunked Blame-Shifting Tactics. Recently, President Obama and Washington Democrats trotted out two blame-shifting strategies that Democrats have tried (unsuccessfully) to use in the past to deflect blame for their failed anti-energy policies. Last month, Democrats recycled their so-called use it or lose it argument that has already been debunked as nothing more than a hoax.  Now, President Obama is trying to shift blame to oil speculators (just as he did in 2008) despite the fact that, as The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin notes, it is the administrations own policies [that] are contributing to yet another drain on the wallets of average Americans.

• Supporting Offshore Energy Production In Brazil, Not America. During a trip to Brazil in March, President Obama pledged to help with technology and support to develop Brazilian oil reserves so that America could become one of Brazils best customers. And, according to stories from Gulf Coast residents shared at a recent Natural Resources Committee hearing, the Presidents policies are already helping to make good on that pledge, with one offshore boat company employee reporting that his employer is sending100 vessels overseas to Brazil to keep them working. With those transfers go many American jobs. 

• Sending American Jobs Overseas.  According to Louisiana State University economist Joseph Mason, [j]ob losses are estimated to have increased from 8,000 regionally and 12,000 nationally to 13,000 regionally and 19,000 nationally due to the Obamas Administrations de facto energy moratorium in the Gulf. In January, the moratorium forced seven oil rigs to abandon the Gulf and head overseas, costing American jobs and forcing the U.S. to import more foreign oil. 

• Backing Excessive Regulations & Red Tape.  Earlier this month, the House passed the Energy Tax Prevention Act (H.R. 910) to stop the Obama Administration from imposing a backdoor national energy tax that will further drive up gas prices. President Obama says he will veto the legislation, proving that he wont let skyrocketing gas prices get in the way of his Administrations job-crushing anti-energy agenda, regardless of the cost to American families and small businesses. 

The new House majority is fighting to roll back the Obama Administrations anti-energy policies with legislation to boost American energy production and help create jobs.  Learn more about our efforts and like the American Energy Initiative on Facebook: http://facebook.com/americanenergy.