Biden Cancels 80-Million-Acre Oil Lease Sale, Shaking Louisiana’s Oil and Gas Industry

March 16, 2021

President Biden has done everything in his power to stunt the recovery of the oil and gas industry since stepping into office. One of the many overreaching executive orders he signed immediately after being sworn in as president was a halt on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters for 60 days.

This struck fear in energy-rich communities across the country who depend on the oil and gas industry for jobs and revenue the industry brings in for their local budgets.

KLFY News reports:

Louisiana officials say the state’s oil and gas industry is in danger.

This comes after President Joe Biden cancelled a March oil lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly 80 million acres of available leases would have been sold this week.

The damage to Louisiana’s oil and gas companies started in January when President Biden signed an executive order banning all new oil and gas leases on public land and waters for 60 days.

Louisiana Oil and Gas Association president Mike Moncla said their worst fear was that the president would extend that ban past 60 days.

“Since that time, Governor Edwards has sent him a great letter letting him know exactly what that would mean to Louisiana, all of the economic and finances that come from our offshore work,” Moncla said. “We’re hoping that Governor Edwards’ letter may have talked some sense into the president and that he won’t extend that 60 days.” 

As the 60-day ban comes closer to its end, Biden isn’t easing restrictions but instead enforcing new ones. President Biden cancelling the 80-million-acre Gulf of Mexico oil lease sale that was scheduled for March 17 will be catastrophic to the state.

“It would kill our state. It would kill workers,” said Moncla. “It would kill jobs, and it would be a terrible thing.”

Moncla says the Gulf of Mexico supports 250,000 jobs between Louisaiana, Texas, and Mississippi and 98,000 Louisiana jobs offshore.

Making orders from the top without listening to the constituents who have lost their jobs and the communities who have lost revenue they desperately need for their budgets isn’t serving the best interests of the American people. The Biden administration continues to make it clear they are more concerned with pleasing the eco-left rather than doing what is best for the average American.