Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) said, “Rather than working on real issues like reducing inflation and improving the economy, Joe Biden came to Colorado today to unilaterally lock up hundreds of thousands of acres through the stroke of his pen and prevent Coloradans from using our public lands for activities that we want and need. Shamefully, Biden ignored the concerns and opposition of impacted communities so he could appease Green New Deal extremists. Equally troubling, they hid their true motivations and failed to be transparent about the harm and restrictions that will result from this massive land grab. With gas prices skyrocketing, OPEC decreasing its oil production, and Americans already struggling to pay their utility bills, this land grab to shut down American energy and natural resources production could not come at a worse time.
“I have a few questions the fake news should ask Joe Biden about his land grab: With gas prices approaching $4.00 per gallon, how does preventing oil and gas production on 280,000 acres help and when will you stop your attacks on responsible energy production? Since you are also preventing mining on 280,000 acres, where are you going to get the minerals for all your electric vehicles, children mining with their bare hands in the Congo? Why did you claim you are taking today’s action in part to benefit the tribes, when the nearest tribal reservation is 4 ½ hours away? How many fewer trips overseas would you have to take to beg OPEC and the Saudi Prince to increase oil production if you allowed responsible energy production on the lands you locked up today? Why did you put the priorities of Green New Deal extremists ahead of hard-working Coloradans? How many catastrophic wildfires are going to burn as a result of your land grab that prevents timber harvesting and forest management?”
“As if it weren’t enough for Joe Biden to deplete our emergency strategic petroleum reserves for political gamesmanship and then getting brushed off by OPEC after begging them to increase oil supply, he is now doubling down on incompetence,” House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (AR-04) said. “Taking even more domestic production off the table is attacking American energy production, American jobs, American workers and leaving American consumers to pay the tab.”
