Republicans have intensified their criticism of President Joe Biden and his energy policies for the shortage of distillate fuel oil that they’re calling a looming “diesel crisis” that will hurt American families.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that diesel stockpiles, in October, are at their lowest level among records that go back some 14 years. As of Oct. 21, the United States had nearly 26 days of supply, a drop from around 34 days five weeks ago.
While the White House has not announced any specific measures to address the diesel shortage, Republicans have blamed the Biden administration’s policies for exacerbating the crunch.
“Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats created a DIESEL CRISIS by attacking our domestic energy production with a radical ‘Green New Deal.’ Farms will shut down, trucks won’t be able to deliver groceries, and seniors won’t have heat. Under Trump, we had Energy Independence!” Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois)
posted on Twitter.
“Many Tennesseans rely on diesel to make a living—from farmers to truckers. The looming diesel crisis will have a ripple effect on our supply chains and the cost of goods. Unleash American energy,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wrote in a
statement on social media.The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House for comment.
‘Astonishing Economic Success Story’ Under Trump?
Former President Donald Trump championed domestic energy production by advancing policies that included streamlining drilling approvals and rolling back Obama-era methane emission rules.“There are few issues where Trump and President Joe Biden have differed more broadly on policy than on energy production,” former Trump adviser Steven Moore
wrote in an op-ed in The Epoch Times, calling Trump’s policies an “astonishing economic success story.”
“Trump went full speed on fossil fuel production,” Moore said, noting that the former president lifted drilling curbs, approved pipelines, and “blocked new extreme environmental regulations that were intended to choke off our oil and gas supplies.”
“He recognized the shale oil and gas revolution as an unparalleled opportunity to reduce reliance on foreign oil,” Moore said.
By contrast, Biden has signed a number of executive orders since taking office that have targeted the oil industry, such as revoking the Keystone XL pipeline permit, freezing new oil and gas drilling leases on federal lands and waters, and ending fossil fuel subsidies by certain agencies.
‘Self-Inflicted Energy Crisis’ Under Biden?
In their criticism of the diesel shortage, Republicans have called on the president to adopt policies that would boost domestic energy production.Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), for example, said in a
statement on social media that without diesel fuel, American families will have a hard time heating their homes, supply chains will grind to a halt, and “the economy will fold.”
“It’s time for Joe to fix this SELF-INFLICTED energy crisis,” Fallon said.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wy.) said in a
statement on social media that the nation’s diesel supply is “alarmingly low” and that the Biden administration “needs to increase domestic energy production to stop this dangerous shortage.”
“The Diesel shortage NO Democrat is talking about is going to wreak havoc on American families. They are a DISASTER!” said Darius Mayfield, a Republican candidate for New Jersey’s 12th congressional district, in a
statement on social media.
Trump,
in remarks at the America First Policy Institute summit at the end of July, said he saw the upcoming midterm elections as an opportunity to vote for candidates that seek to make the United States more energy independent by bolstering domestic energy production and “bring America back from the brink.”
Moore has estimated that the cost of moving away from Trump’s energy independence policies would run into the tens of billions of dollars per year.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has
repeatedly argued that the Biden administration’s policies would increase energy costs for American families, who have already seen decades-high inflation hit their wallets.
Allen Zhong contributed to this report.
