Submitted by United States Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
WASHINGTON (January 7, 2025) – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Senate Western Caucus colleagues released the following statements in response to the Biden-Harris administration’s last-ditch effort to limit American energy by banning new domestic offshore oil and gas exploration.
“It’s only fitting that as a parting shot, Joe Biden’s war on American energy and the American energy worker continues,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This action cuts off well-paying energy jobs for Americans that want to have a better life to satisfy an environmental left wing who only cares about abstract notions.”
“For four years, President Biden has waged war against American energy and has abused every ounce of power at his disposal to unjustly punish domestic energy producers at the expense of American jobs and our national security,” said Senator Lummis. “President Biden should take accountability for the consequences of his ruinous policies not exacerbate them with a de-facto offshore oil and gas development ban, eliminating tens of thousands of American jobs with the stroke of a pen.”
“The Biden administration has waged war on American energy and is intent on continuing that war until the very last minute,” said Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). “These policies have crippled our economy and destroyed thousands of high-paying jobs for Texans and other Americans. All of these will end on January 20.”
“This is nothing but a last-ditch attempt by the Biden administration to appease radical environmentalists who want to cripple made-in-America energy,” said Senator Steve Daines (R-MT). “The American people have rejected Biden’s anti-energy agenda, and now it’s time to unleash American energy and protect Montana jobs. I look forward to working with the Trump administration to reverse this decision.”
2024 is the first year without an offshore oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico since 1965.
With less than 30 days until President-elect Trump takes office, President Biden announced he will be signing an executive order barring the sale of new drilling rights in portions of the country’s Outer Continental Shelf as a final blow to America’s energy industry and workers.
Background
In November, Cassidy raised alarms on the Biden-Harris administration’s last-ditch effort to ban offshore energy development. Last Congress, Cassidy released a landmark energy policy outline in response to the Biden administration’s assault on domestic energy. The outline details how we can successfully reset U.S. energy policy, including Cassidy’s plan for an Energy Operation Warp Speed to cut permitting red tape and unleash domestic energy and manufacturing.
He also pushed back on disastrous proposals from the Biden administration to limit development in the Outer Continental Shelf by introducing the WHALE Act, the Offshore Energy Security Act of 2023, and the Supporting Made in America Energy Act to mandate oil and gas lease sales.
