Biden energy agenda has been a ‘major contributor’ to inflation: Mike Pence
Rachel Schilke
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Former Vice President Mike Pence believes President Joe Biden‘s energy agenda is crippling the energy industry and contributing to high inflation and soaring costs for the public.
Pence wrote in a Thursday op-ed for the Washington Examiner that Biden is “making good” on his promise to end fossil fuels, a staple of the Biden administration’s green energy policies, but that the effects are anything but positive.
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“He canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, imposed drilling moratoriums, and refused to auction oil and gas leases on federal lands. Now, he wants to cripple the energy industry by forcing it to comply with capricious environmental, social, and corporate governance regulations,” Pence wrote.
“Biden’s war on energy has been a major contributor to the runaway inflation that is crushing family budgets and small businesses,” Pence added, citing 60% higher gas prices and 25% higher electricity costs since Biden took office.
Inflation dropped to 3% in June, a major win for Biden as he continues to tout his “Bidenomics” economy agenda during his reelection campaign.
However, Pence believes Biden caused significant damage in the process of lowering inflation, particularly to job production and national security — two areas he said his policies would fix if he becomes president in 2024.
“Unleashing American energy will not only create thousands of jobs and lower inflation substantially. It will also enhance America’s national security. As we’ve seen in Ukraine and the resulting energy in crisis in Europe, energy is now being used as a geopolitical weapon,” Pence said, warning that China has gained an “important energy foothold.”
Pence said that under his presidency, he would set sights on making the United States the No. 1 energy producer by 2040. He also would be “source-neutral,” using all kinds of energy, from oil and natural gas to nuclear and renewable energy.
“We have the capacity and the natural resources — all we lack is the political will,” Pence said.
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Pence’s campaign announced on Monday that the former vice president had qualified for the first Republican National Committee debate, which takes place on Aug. 23. He is the eighth and most likely last candidate to qualify for the debate. Other qualifiers are former President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND).
Trump has not committed to attending the debate and said on Wednesday he would not sign the RNC pledge, in which he must agree to support whoever the Republican presidential nominee is if it’s not him.