Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the Biden administration's executive overreach and how these policies have crippled America's energy independence. Subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) released the following statement in response:

"The unwieldy growth of the federal government has resulted in an abusive concentration of power with limited accountability to the public. Mr. Biden has continued a relentless march toward further expansion, particularly by trying to reimagine the energy sector as a puppet of environmental activists and radical climate alarmists. Instead of attempting to work with Congress to pass legislation, Joe Biden has ruled by fiat, abusing executive orders to radically restrict America’s energy independence. This hearing exposes the radical executive overreach of Mr. Biden as Republicans work to reverse course, inject a dose of restraint and reason into America’s energy policies, and, perhaps most important of all, restore the balance of powers between the executive and legislative branches."

Background

The Biden administration has repeatedly abused executive authority and limited America's energy independence in support of achieving undefined environmental and social justice goals. These actions harm America's economy and put our national security in jeopardy.

The Biden administration continues to test the limits of its power through the use of executive orders and by weaponizing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Under President Biden, CEQ has moved far beyond its original scope of ensuring NEPA compliance and is now actively promoting and instituting President Biden’s government wide climate and environmental justice agenda.

The Biden administration has also taken direct aim at America’s energy industry, resulting in increased prices at the pump and at home for American families. Notably, on his first day in office, President Biden issued E.O. 13990 that canceled the construction of an energy pipeline and halted leasing an area of federal land for oil and gas production. E.O. 13990 also called on agencies to review the actions of the previous administration to identify if they are inconsistent with Biden’s environmental justice policies.

This hearing took a detailed look at examples of executive overreach and provided an opportunity for Congress to hold the White House accountable for its actions. 

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