Republicans Are Restoring American Energy Dominance Over Democrat Opposition

While Democrats Try to Drag the Country Back to the Failed Policies of the Biden Administration, Republicans are Forging Ahead to Unleash American Energy Production

UNLOCKED BY REPUBLICANS’ BUDGET RESOLUTION, THE EXPANSION OF LEASE SALES WILL EMPOWER PRESIDENT TRUMP TO CONTINUE UNLEASHING ENERGY PRODUCTION

“After years of Biden and the Dems' disastrous policies, [Senate Republicans are] working with [President Trump] to deliver real results. Our budget strengthens border security, boosts energy production & advances President Trump's agenda—putting Americans first and keeping promises.” – Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)

The budget resolution is the first step in getting the country on track to achieve “energy independence by unleashing American energy production through on and offshore lease sales.” (U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: Chairman Graham: I Am Confident We Will Rise To The Occasion – 4/2/25; U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: Chairman Graham Unveils FY 2025 Budget Resolution To Secure The Border, Revitalize Our Military, Unleash American Energy Production And Begin The Process Of Restoring Fiscal Sanity – 2/7/25)

On his way out the door, President Biden announced an order banning new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters, accounting for 625 million acres of ocean. (CBS: Biden bans new offshore oil and gas drilling in most U.S. coastal waters – 1/6/25)

- President Trump took an initial step to reverse this order on his first day in office, but “[r]eversing Biden’s move would likely require an act of Congress.” (The Hill: Trump orders lift of Biden offshore drilling restrictions – 1/20/25; E&E News: Trump promises to undo Biden lame-duck drilling ban – 1/6/25)

Also on his first day in office, President Trump declared a national energy emergency with the overarching goal of boosting America’s energy supply and infrastructure in order to bolster economic and national security. (White House: Declaring A National Energy Emergency – 1/20/25)

Just a few months into the new administration, the Department of the Interior announced that offshore energy production “saw record growth,” and “[i]ndustry projections indicate offshore production could surpass 2 million barrels per day by 2025-2026, marking an all-time high for the U.S.” (U.S. Department of the Interior: Department of the Interior Drives Unprecedented Offshore Energy Growth Under President Trump – 3/28/25)

The Biden administration banned all oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and all drilling in over 13 million acres of land in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). (U.S. Department of the Interior: Biden-Harris Administration Takes Major Steps to Protect Arctic Lands and Wildlife in Alaska – 9/6/23; NPR: Biden ends drilling in ANWR, sparking criticism, as Willow Project moves forward – 9/7/23)

However, in March, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that the Bureau of Land Management would reopen 82% of the NPR-A “to leasing and expanding energy development opportunities in the approximately 23-million-acre reserve,” along with reinstating “a program that makes the entire 1.56-million-acre Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge available for oil and gas leasing” as outlined in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (U.S. Department of the Interior: Interior Secretary Takes Steps to Unleash Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential – 3/20/25)
- “These are the first steps to restoring reasonable access to our federal lands and the federal government fulfilling the terms of our statehood compact from nearly 70 years ago—all achieved by simply partnering with Alaskans and following the law.” – Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

ONE BY ONE, REPUBLICANS ARE OVERTURNING BIDEN-ERA ENERGY REGULATIONS

This week, Senate Republicans are undoing a Biden rule that “set more stringent standards” for walk-in coolers and freezers. (The Washington Examiner: House votes to cancel Biden efficiency rules for refrigerators and freezers – 3/27/25)

The standards implemented by the Biden rule would raise consumers’ equipment costs by at least $99 million per year. Manufacturers of non-display doors and refrigeration systems would also incur costs of $90 million in order to be in compliance with the rule. (U.S. Federal Register: Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In Freezers – 12/23/24)

Congressional Republicans voted “to undo a range of Biden-era rules, teeing up their first major steps toward rolling back the previous administration’s regulatory agenda.” (Politico: House, Senate GOP to begin undoing Biden regulations – 2/21/25)

The Senate voted to overturn “a Biden administration regulation hampering domestic energy production… Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy sponsored the resolution, which sought to repeal a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) rule handicapping offshore oil and gas production.” Forty-four Senate Democrats voted against overturning the rule. (S.J. Res. 11: Roll Call Vote #92 – 2/25/25; The Daily Caller: Senate Dems Obstruct GOP Effort To Remove Biden’s Handcuffs On American Energy – 2/25/25)

- “[T]hey said: Look, we know we have surveyed the entire gulf… But every time you drill a new well, we want you to survey again. Well, why? I mean, what is the benefit? We know what the cost is. It costs anywhere from $10,000 to $1 million to resurvey again.” – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.)
The Senate also passed Sen. John Hoeven’s (R-N.D.) resolution to “block implementation of the Biden administration’s Natural Gas Tax,” also known as the methane fee, “which was passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spend legislation in 2022.” Every Senate Democrat voted against overturning the rule. (S.J. Res. 35: Roll Call Vote #97 – 2/27/25; Sen. Hoeven: Hoeven, Pfluger Continue Efforts to Block Biden’s Natural Gas Tax, Alleviate Burden on U.S. Domestic Energy Production – 2/4/25)

- “And in the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats put a tax on methane, on natural gas. So essentially, what the CRA, Congressional Review Act, resolution that I'm putting forward does is it repeals that tax on natural gas… We have the best environmental standards in the world. And so the solution for the Democrats is to tax it, get less of it, and get it from countries with worse environmental standards? Beyond ridiculous.” – Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.)

AMERICANS WERE HURTING AFTER FOUR YEARS OF HIGH ENERGY COSTS AND VOTED FOR CHANGE, BUT DEMOCRATS ARE STILL TRYING TO GO BACK TO THESE FAILED POLICIES

As a 2020 presidential candidate, Joe Biden pledged, “I want you to look at my eyes. I guarantee you. I guarantee you. We’re going to end fossil fuel.” (The Associated Press: In intimate moment, Biden vows to ‘end fossil fuel’ – 9/6/19)

During President Biden’s time in office, energy, gasoline, electricity, and natural gas prices all skyrocketed:
- Energy prices increased by 30.54%.
- Gasoline prices increased by 30.50%.
- Electricity prices increased by 28.55%.
- Natural gas prices increased by 33.30%. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index – accessed 1/15/25; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index – December 2024 – 1/15/25)

According to an Associated Press VoteCast survey, 96% of voters said “high prices for gas, groceries and other goods” were a factor in their vote. (The Wall Street Journal: How Trump Won the Economy-Is-Everything Election – 11/6/24)

Two-thirds of voters rated the economy as “not so good” or “poor,” and out of the voters who viewed the economy negatively, 69% voted for Trump in the 2024 election. (The Washington Post: Voter anger over economy boosts Trump in 2024, baffling Democrats – 11/6/24)

Yet, every Senate Democrat voted to go back to President Biden’s anti-energy policies. Republicans unanimously voted against Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Martin Heinrich’s (D-N.M.) joint resolution that sought “to ‘terminate’ Trump’s national emergency declaration that ordered agencies to boost energy domestic production and infrastructure” and ignored the harm caused by the Biden administration’s failed energy policies. (S.J. Res. 10: Roll Call Vote #95 – 2/26/25; The Daily Wire: Senate GOP Fights Dems To Preserve Trump’s Day-One Energy Emergency Declaration – 2/25/25)

- “Senate Democrats are yet again attempting to block President Trump’s efforts to secure cheaper, more reliable energy — just when America needs it most. Their message to families is clear: pay more, expect less… Senate Republicans won’t let Democrats delay and obstruct any longer and will ensure the President has the tools necessary to deliver the results the American people expect.” – Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah)
- “Electricity prices increased an astounding 30% during the Biden disaster. Recognizing the pressure on our economic stability and security, President Trump declared a National Emergency on energy. Democrats are trying to undo that bold action as if their destructive policies didn’t hurt us enough. Tonight we stopped those efforts.” – Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.)
- “Fact: America produces energy cleaner than countries like Venezuela and Russia. By expanding domestic production, the President is reducing our reliance on dirtier foreign sources and helping lower global emissions. We should be unleashing American energy, not stifling it—which I why I voted against the Democrats’ effort to roll back the President's energy national emergency.” – Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah)

Next Previous