The Biden Administration’s Dishonesty on Domestic Oil Production

Today the Biden administration announced it would “immediately increase supply by doing everything we can to encourage domestic production now.” While the Biden administration can change course, this would require a 180-degree change from their current approach.  

The Biden administration claims that “The fact is that there is nothing standing in the way of domestic oil production.” This is not true. According to the latest numbers from the Department of Interior, there are currently: 

• 33 percent fewer leases in effect than at the beginning of the Obama Administration (FY2009) (Bureau of Land Management’s Oil and Gas Statistics Fiscal Year 2021 Table 1—Number of Leases)
• 45 percent fewer acres under lease as at the beginning of the Obama Administration (FY2009) (Bureau of Land Management’s Oil and Gas Statistics Fiscal Year 2021 Table 2—Acreage in Effect)
• The highest percentage of leases are producing on federal lands in the data provided by the Department of Interior (Bureau of Land Management’s Oil and Gas Statistics Fiscal Year 2021 Comparing Table 1—Number of Leases and Table 5 Number of Producing Leases on Federal Lands)
• Less than 1.9 percent of federal areas are lands are leased for oil and gas development.  

Not allowing oil production on over 98 percent of federal lands, when the federal government is the largest land manager is a serious impediment to domestic oil production. Not only that, but just this week the Biden administration released a budget with no money to carry out offshore leasing. This would be the third year in a row without offshore leasing.  

There is plenty standing in the way of domestic oil production. President Biden is standing in the way of domestic oil production.