05.19.22

Hoeven: Biden Energy Policies Leading to Higher Costs for Farmers and Ranchers, American Consumers

Senator Presses Administration to Take the Handcuffs off American Energy Producers

WASHINGTON – At a press conference this week, Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, outlined how the Biden administration’s restrictive energy policies are not only fueling record-high energy prices, but leading to increased input costs for North Dakota farmers and ranchers.

“There isn’t a single state in the country where the average price of gasoline is below $4, and the cost just keeps going up,” said Hoeven. “North Dakota is a big energy producing state, but we’re also a big agriculture state. Think about what high energy prices mean for farmers. Our farmers aren’t just facing increased fuel costs to run their equipment, but also for their fertilizer, which is very energy intensive. That puts a huge burden on the people who produce our food supply every single day. Our farmers and ranchers produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world that benefits every single American every single day. When our producers have those increased energy costs caused by the Biden administration’s energy policies, it impacts every single American. The administration needs to take the handcuffs off our energy producers.” 

Hoeven continues to push back on the Biden administration’s domestic energy policies, which have resulted in record-high gas prices, rising inflation and increased costs across the economy for American families and individuals. The senator’s efforts include introducing the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, which would take immediate action to increase U.S. energy production and reduce reliance on Russian energy by: 

  • Authorizing the construction and operation of the Keystone XL pipeline.
  • Removing regulatory hurdles to increase liquefied natural gas exports.
  • Prohibiting any presidential moratoria on new energy leases.
  • Requiring the U.S. Department of the Interior to hold a minimum of four oil and natural gas lease sales in each state with land available for leasing in fiscal year 2022.
  • Prohibiting the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy from drawdowns of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) until the Secretary of the Interior issues a plan to increase oil and gas production on federal lands and waters. 

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