Energy expert warns that Biden’s offshore oil and gas drilling ban will hurt consumers, and calls on Congress to fix it

Biden’s last-minute executive action on offshore oil and gas drilling may have landed him in an awkward position as one energy expert warned of the potential harm to American consumers.

Mike Sommers, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, called on Congress to fix Biden’s costly action after he announced a ban on new drilling and more. Oil and natural gas development On more than 625 million acres of U.S. coastal and marine waters.

“Unfortunately, these kind of midnight regulations put in place by the Biden administration will be undermined US energy security And it hurts American consumers. Somers emphasized that this is not what America voted for.

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Biden’s executive action comes Two weeks before the end of his term.

“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts can cause irreparable damage to the places we cherish, and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” the president said in a statement. . “It’s not worth the risk. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country, and we transition to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.”

The President also cited the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which means President-elect Trump It can be limited in its ability to undo the procedure.

Somers revealed that Congress has “a number of different options they can pursue” to overturn Biden’s efforts, arguing that the new engine “will hurt consumers.”

“The Congressional Review Act is certainly one of them. But they could also pursue that through reconciliation proceedings because of the revenues that would be obtained abroad from developing these resources, because their federal resources would be enormous,” Sommers explained.

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He told host Maria Bartiromo that Congress needs to act quickly and make sure it is a “top priority” during his term The first few days on Capitol Hill.

“The American people certainly did not vote to reduce energy development in the United States. In fact, energy was on the ballot during this election and energy won,” Sommers said.

Biden’s ban on oil and gas drilling comes after his decision to ban some natural gas water heaters from the market, a move Somers says will “hurt the most vulnerable among us.”

“That’s what’s so sad about this, is that people are the least able to afford it. They’re going to have to pay more for the new water heaters that they’re going to have to install and upgrade where they live,” he expressed.

Somers argued that the new natural gas water heater ban isn’t just limited to a A regressive tax on AmericaAnd even the Americans.

“I think this is a sad day because the poor are the most affected by this ban,” he said.

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Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report