Another Republican Fox watcher called in to Washington Journal and blamed Biden for "shutting down the petroleum industry". That's hogwash. Biden temporarily halted new leases on public lands for a policy review but, the industry still had plenty of existing leases to drill. Oil production now matches historic highs. The big difference is demand, which was minimal during the pandemic and has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels. #cspanwj #politics #USpolitics #economy #economics
Folks presenting this argument miss that it takes more than a lease to drill, just as it takes more than a car to legally drive down the road.
Biden has leaned into that misleading rhetoric, though, even as the additional permits required to successfully produce have become harder to obtain.
It's the equivalent of refusing to issue new drivers' licenses while still proclaiming, What, I'm not stopping you from buying a car!
