Our question this week comes from Laura. She asks:
“Please do something about these outrageous [natural gas] prices. My husband and I are senior citizens and our bill more than doubled this last month. Can you please explain to me why the price has increased so much? Thank you for your help.”
Thank you for your question, Laura. We’ve all felt the pain of rising energy costs over the past two years. It’s true that Putin’s war in Ukraine severely impacted global energy markets and caused the supply of oil to go down at a time when demand was going up. President Biden didn’t have control over global events that rocked the market, but his administration bears responsibility for actively pursuing policies that harm the oil and gas industry. Instead of reducing barriers to increase supply and production, President Biden's policies have resulted in the release of tens of millions of barrels of crude oil from our strategic petroleum reserves. Unfortunately, this is a band-aid political fix that temporarily brings prices down, not a long-term solution. Ultimately, the only solution that will lower energy prices in the long-term is removing regulatory barriers to American energy production. Whether it’s traditional crude oil, natural gas, nuclear, solar, or wind – America has some of the greatest energy resources of any nation in the world. The President’s policies have restricted our capabilities and as a result drove up costs for people across the Central Valley and the country.
Last year, House Republicans made a Commitment to America – we would fight to make sure America is energy independent. I intend to keep that commitment and will continue to support legislation that reduces barriers to domestic energy production and creates jobs in Kern County. Not only is this critical to our local economy, but it is critical to the security of our nation and a vital part of reducing the burden on hardworking families during these uncertain economic times.
