As Ukrainians defend their country against Russia’s military, many are asking the best way the United States can avoid having to send American troops to war while still supporting Ukraine, deterring Russia, and protecting homeland security. Utah Senator Mike Lee has issued a public letter outlining his belief that the answer may be tied to the U.S. energy policy. Lee stated that 20 percent of Russia’s revenues are the result of oil and gas production with much of Europe and other countries dependent on those resources. The United States even imported 72 million barrels of oil and gas from Russia in 2021. “This reliance on Russian energy has not only empowered Putin, but it has weakened NATO countries’ abilities and options to respond to Russian hostilities,” shares Lee. “This vulnerability was known to us and the world; but unfortunately, little to no action was taken to address it…To make matters worse, here in the U.S., the situation was actually made worse over the last year,” continues Lee. “On President Biden’s first day in office, he signed an Executive Order revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline preventing the transportation of 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day that could have helped us supply fuel into the future. He placed a moratorium on ‘oil and natural gas leases on public lands or in offshore waters.’” Senator Lee also details that President Biden has sent emissaries to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia to buy up their oil and gas demonstrating the the President doesn’t seem to be opposed to oil and gas, just opposed to AMERICAN oil and gas which leads to Lee’s main point. “Our government is standing in the way of American energy prosperity,” states Lee. “Deploying pipelines to more reliably deliver fuel; rescinding the President’s unlawful moratorium on oil and gas leasing (which has reached its fifth straight quarter); constructing real infrastructure (not green-new-deal wishes); permitting new LNG export terminals; and reforming NEPA are just a few of the actions we should be taking to address rising prices and energy security. Not addressing these problems,” he concludes, “is constricting our ability to act on the world stage and is very likely further threatening our homeland’s security.”
