The inflation rate in the United States is the highest it has been in more than 40 years. Most Americans have never experienced the drop in buying power they’re currently facing.
Historically high (and rising) energy prices are producing a ripple effect throughout the economy, significantly increasing the prices of food and other essential goods and services.
To fight climate change, Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline partnership with Canada, imposed a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and the U.S. outer continental shelf, canceled oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, foreclosed drilling on more than half of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, and proposed increasing federal fees and royalties paid by oil and gas producers. Biden also forced new climate-change restrictions on infrastructure projects such as pipelines, while simultaneously making it more difficult and expensive to ship natural gas by rail. He also imposed methane emission restrictions, making it harder and more expensive to develop, store, and transport oil and natural gas.
Despite nearly three and a half decades of alarming climate propagandizing, the Rasmussen/Heartland survey finds that only 30 percent of voters believe it’s “very likely” climate change will be catastrophic for humans, plants, and animals within the next century. Unsurprisingly, having been raised on the pablum of false climate claims since birth, the youngest cohort of voters are the most concerned about climate change.
While the so-called climate crisis may not be ringing many alarm bells among most voters, the survey shows high energy prices certainly are. Eighty-two percent of voters say they’re either “very” or “somewhat concerned” about rising energy and gas prices under the Biden administration.
In response, 60 percent of those surveyed, a clear majority, strongly favor or somewhat favor passing laws to “dramatically increase oil and gas drilling in the United States.” Indeed, by an 18 percentage point margin, survey participants said Biden and Congress should focus more on “increasing oil and gas drilling to help reduce energy prices” than “limiting carbon dioxide emissions in an attempt to reduce climate change.”
Biden’s and congressional Democrats’ popularity and poll numbers are already upside down. Accordingly, if they want to have any chance of maintaining their majority in Congress in the 2022 midterm elections, they should take this poll seriously. For too long, Democrats have been led by the radical rump of the party, acting as if “the Squad” represents the majority of the public’s desires on energy and climate issues. They don’t now and never have, which this survey confirms.
As my colleague Linnea Lueken stated in a recent press release describing the Rasmussen/Heartland survey results: “This poll confirms that Americans have far different priorities than the Biden administration. Americans are worried about being able to afford the fuel that they need to work and live, and they know that our current oil and gas energy infrastructure is insufficient. ... Our elected officials should take note.”
