President Biden’s False Sense of Reality

February 8, 2023

Last night was President Biden’s second State of the Union address. Unsurprisingly, he touted a few victories in the energy sector that just aren’t there. So, we decided to fact-check, and below are a few suspicious statements.   

• “Gas Prices are down from their peak” – Anyone who has filled up at the pump over the last two years knows the average gas price was $2.39, or over a dollar lower than today. In addition, American oil production is down over 620,000 barrels per day since 2019.
  
• “We need the best infrastructure in the world” – President Biden doesn’t consider oil pipelines as part of the best infrastructure, as he canceled the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day. A recent Department of Energy study found his action killed as many as 59,000 jobs.
  
• “We’re going to buy American” – President Biden’s efforts to promote solar panels and wind turbines ignore the fact that those products are largely made in China. Additionally, the President’s Administration repeatedly stood in the way of American mining and has preferred oil from Venezuela, Iran, and Saudi Arabia over fossil fuels responsibly produced by American workers.
  
• “Lower Utility Bills” – Over 1 in 5 American families currently can’t pay their energy bills, and contained within the Inflation Reduction Act is a new natural gas tax that will hit families in 2024.

 Power the Future Founder and Executive Director Daniel Turner had the following to say about President Biden’s false sense of reality, 

“Joe Biden may be able to deceive himself, but the American people know better. The simple facts are gas costs more, groceries cost more, and our energy independence is surrendered. The State of the Union is weaker, and the President’s failed agenda is the reason why.” 

One statement that made our ears perk up was when the President seemed to go off script and admit that the oil industry is not going away soon. 

Fox News reports, 

‘President Biden appeared to go off script during his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, saying that the U.S. would need oil and natural gas for many years to come. “We are still going to need oil and gas for a while,” Biden said during his speech.’ 

While we appreciate the President admitting that oil and gas are needed, his words don’t match the actions of his administration as they actively work against the industry. The men and women who work in the energy sector deserve leaders who value and appreciate the hard work that keeps our country running.