Biden’s Blatant Oil Hypocrisy

President Biden still thinks he can have it both ways on fossil fuels — blasting oil companies for not producing even while keeping his promise to “end” US production. Nothing highlights the hypocrisy like his team’s cancellation of three major oil- and gas-lease sales last week.

The Interior Department withdrew drilling leases for more than 1 million acres in Alaska’s Cook Inlet and two areas in the Gulf of Mexico, blaming “lack of industry interest” in the Alaska site and “conflicting court rulings” on the Gulf ones.

Such blame-shifting is Team Biden’s standard operating procedure amid sky-high prices. Per AAA, the national average cost for a gallon broke an all-time record Thursday, at $4.42. And higher energy prices drive up the cost of almost all other goods, too.

The prez has consistently signaled oil and gas producers that he’ll do everything in his power to put them out of business. “Kiddo,” he told an activist on the campaign trail in 2019, “I guarantee you we are going to end fossil fuel.” Sure enough, he halted federal lease sales the moment he took office.

He also canceled the Keystone pipeline and moved to dry up drillers’ access to capital. And he’s failed to issue a new five-year offshore-leasing plan, though the current one expires next month. “The administration talks about the need for more supply and acts to restrict it,” frets the American Petroleum Institute’s Frank Macchiarola.

And now, to look pro-production, he’s threatening tax penalties for companies with federal leases that aren’t pumping up more oil. Who can blame the industry for not wanting to risk signing new leases? But if the prez truly wants more oil, why not keep trying to sell at least the Alaska lease?

If he were honest, Biden would admit his policies are driving up energy costs and argue that it’s necessary to fight climate change. Instead, he pretends “I’m doing everything . . . to bring down the prices” — while actually moving aggressively to keep his vow to end the use of fossil fuels.

Sorry, Joe: You can’t do both. And oil companies know your true priority, so refuse to make risky investments. The blame for higher prices is entirely on the president.