The energy crisis is in full swing and true to form, the Democrats are leveling their fingers at everyone but themselves. The Biden administration, for instance, doesn’t want to take any responsibility despite having the lion’s share of it. Instead, they point to two of their favorite punching bags, Russian Vladimir Putin and that dastardly oil and gas industry.

However, the oil and gas industry isn’t letting the lie go and ten associations have united to make clear the truth behind the energy crisis.

Ten associations from all over the nation wrote an open letter to Joe Biden that demolished his narrative that fossil fuel companies were somehow to blame for the energy crisis because they were greedy and attempting to price gouge customers in times of turmoil.

The letter begins by stating that they support Biden in his efforts to punish Putin for his unjust war against the Ukrainian people and that it has had an effect on the price of oil and gas. As a result, parts of his administration have demanded that oil and gas companies in the U.S. step up, only there’s an issue stopping them from doing so…his administration:

However, there is a key challenge standing in the way of unity: the words and actions of you and members of your administration.

In particular, it’s regrettable that you and your White House team have continued to mischaracterize facts regarding our industry – often maligning our motives, and frankly, in some cases, advance complete and total falsehoods.

For example, you have said oil companies could be drilling right now because we have over 9,000 approved permits, a misleading statement at best. More about that below. Also, just last Friday, you said that companies “would rather take those profits and buy back their own stock rather than take that money and invest it in pumping new oil.”

With respect, Mr. President, how do you know what motivates oil company business decisions?

The letter continues by listing just how Biden’s administration has been holding back oil and gas production in the state, citing his hostile attitudes toward it from day one. This includes blaming U.S. oil and gas as a primary villain in climate destruction which is wholly inaccurate given China and Russia’s horrendous eco-standards and Biden’s declarations that oil and gas production in the U.S. has to come to an end.

“Surely in your over 40 years of government service, you have learned that government officials’ words and deeds impact
business decisions” reads the letter.

The associations point out Biden’s hostility toward their companies and associations going back to 2019 when he campaigned on their companies being no longer welcomed in America by his administration and kept that promise with the cancelation of the Keystone XL pipeline on day one and an executive order enacting a moratorium on new leasing on public lands and waters.

They spelled it out for Biden and any readers:

There should be no confusion: since the time you first began campaigning for, and since becoming, President, you have expressed deep hostility toward the oil and natural gas business – and by extension, the thousands of very hard-working men and women – union and non – in very good paying jobs, who bring energy to the nation.

Given all we have described above, combined with the repeated distortions and half-truths that have been expressed by White House officials, we believe it’s important to set the record straight and provide a bit of context on statements that have been made regarding energy production on federal lands and elsewhere.

To make sure he and any readers also get the confusion surrounding Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s statement about oil and gas companies not using the leases, the associations point out that there are multiple factors still holding them back from drilling and producing.

For instance, leases are going unutilized due to multiple factors including litigation by environmental groups, governmental red tape, and lack of sufficient oil and gas to begin drilling. They also cite that there are currently 4,621 permits awaiting approval by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management that Biden’s administration could approve now, but haven’t.

“So, yes Mr. President, your administration is “holding the industry back” in direct contradiction to your statements last week when you said your administration was not,” reads the letter.

Just to put the icing on the cake, it also lists the ways Biden’s government is holding up drilling and production by working with environmental activists to grief producers, laws that stop companies with active leases from drilling, and trouble gathering the necessary capital to drill on land, especially for smaller companies that are spending too much just trying to cut through the red tape.

All in all, the companies make it clear that energy independence is in reach, it’s just that an overreaching government stands in their way and at the head of it is Biden.