Washington, DC—October 19, 2022….This week, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) joined a letter led by Whip Steve Scalise (LA-1) to President Biden urging the President to reverse his anti-American energy policies and issue a five-year offshore oil and natural gas leasing plan after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland let the previous five-year plan expire.
“We write to express our deep concern with your ongoing war on American energy. Unfortunately, since taking office, you have fulfilled your campaign promises to shut down American oil and gas production. As a result, America is no longer energy independent, and our nation is less secure. In order to reduce the dramatically higher energy costs your actions have placed on hard-working families, we strongly request you reverse course and work with us to unleash American energy. Specifically, we ask you to take immediate action by issuing a five-year leasing plan that includes regular annual lease sales in America’s offshore areas,”the letter reads.
“Undermining oil and gas production has severe consequences. For example, Europe is in a full-blown energy crisis, and we are seeing the same issues manifest in California with their governor telling people to turn thermostats above 78 degrees, avoid using appliances, and limit charging electric vehicles when they get home from work, all while he mandated a ban on fossil-fuel cars. Europe and California should both serve as a cautionary tale against the devastating anti-fossil fuel policies your administration is currently pursuing. To be clear, already sky-high energy prices will likely worsen unless you immediately reverse course and drastically increase exploration, leasing, and production of oil and natural gas here at home. And keep in mind your extremist policies are hurting low and middle-income families the hardest.”
The letter urges President Biden to immediately announce a new offshore leasing plan and unleash American energy production. The lawmakers highlight how driving more investment into United States' energy sector would lower gas and electricity prices for struggling families and guarantee a steady flow of American energy into the future.
Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
