By SEN. DAN SULLIVAN
Editor’s note: This opinion column first ran in the Wall Street Journal.
We are living in one of the most dangerous times since World War II, as Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran attempt to undermine the free world. Yet rather than maximize our nation’s strengths and weaken our adversaries, the Biden administration is doing the opposite.
Consider its policy on Iran. Under sanctions pressure from the Trump administration, Iranian oil exports in 2020 were at about 200,000 barrels a day, leaving Tehran with about $4 billion in foreign reserves, a small pool relative to the country’s size.
In an effort to appease the mullahs, however, the Biden administration hasn’t enforced comprehensive sanctions since 2021. As a result, Iranian oil exports today are at nearly 1.6 million barrels a day and its regime has been enriched by more than $70 billion. Iran uses this windfall in part to fund its terrorist proxies, including the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah. Iranian oil development also allows the regime to deepen its ties with China, which buys about 80% of Iran’s oil exports.
Meantime the Biden administration is doing the reverse at home—weakening America’s domestic energy production by restricting development on two important sites, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and Alaska’s Ambler Mining District.
These measures are suicidal—and lawless. In 1980 Congress directed the interior secretary to “conduct an expeditious program of competitive leasing” in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The Biden administration is dramatically reinterpreting this law so it can treat those 13 million acres it is locking up as de facto federal wilderness.
The decision, ironically, ignores the desires of many in the Alaska Native community. Elected indigenous leaders from the North Slope of Alaska eight times have requested a meeting with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to express their opposition to the administration’s new rule. Each time, they’ve been denied. It seems that the Biden administration listens to people of color and indigenous communities only if they align with the administration’s extreme antidevelopment policies.
Click here to read Sen. Sullivan’s full op-ed.
Wouldn’t surprise me that the Bidens are heavily invested in foreign oil…..
AND Foreign…….. fill in the blank, Is without a doubt heavily invested in Biden.
That wouldn’t surprise much of anyone with half a brain but I appreciate you saying it.
They are heavily invested in harvesting of foreign cash.
The Biden’s are jus5 controlled puppets. No power at all.
The USA is producing more oil it’s history, and is the worlds top producer, but don’t let facts get in the way. Remember when DJT convinced the Saudis to cut production so oil companies could charge more. Again don’t let facts get in the way of pushing the MAGA False Statements. Time for Dan to go!
Take a deep breath, son. You’re hyperventilating.
Yes, it is true we are producing a lot of oil. I doubt in history, but we’ll put a pin in that. The facts, tricky things they are, are that we could be producing a lot more. And too much of what we produce goes overseas.
Plus, more is needed than ever before. The life you live is built on oil.
Do you remember when Grandpa Bloodstains begged the Saudis to produce more and they told him to go pound sand? Do you remember Grandpa Bloodstains cancelling Keystone XL? And so, so, so much more.
Probably not, it’s inconvenient to your worldview. But many of us are like Pepperage Farm. We remember.
Now go to your safe space and pet a puppy.
Ben, you might be right. But I’m more apt to believe that Hunter is running all over the world making deals some way or other and the ‘BIG GUY’ is raking in 10% OF $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. You’re thoughts? Trading and investing in foreign oil could be traceable.
Dear Dan: Stop your panty twisting about how bad “Biden” is – we know that. DON’T VOTE FOR THIS UKRAINE/ISRAEL/REPO BILL – if you vote for it, you are 61 billion times worse than “Biden”
Dan you and Lisa brought a lot of this on when you both voted to approve Haaland’s appointment! So don’t clutch your Pearls. You & Lisa are 2/3’s of the problem in DC for Alaska.
Dan you voted for Haaland. You voted for this. You’re democrat Lisa’s Yes boy. Everybody knows this and nobody listens to to you anymore. You make me embarrassed and ashamed that I voted for you.
There is a whole new generation of engineers, developers that can extract and safely pull out natural resources if only the older generation could just get out of the way. The North Slope leaders have those trailblazers that understand that moving forward and utilizing what is God given must be handled responsibly. Biden is being both irresponsible and incompetent in not allowing the people govern their own states that live there and know what’s the most responsible thing to do. Unbelievable. Joe Biden get out of the way.
How safe for Sullivan to publish it behind a pay-wall.
So(!!!)
… What do you and Lisa plan to do about it?
… What have either of you done to protect Alaska’s interest?
… Are we still importing Oil from Venezuela?
… Are we replenishing the SPR with American Oil?
… Who exactly voted to confirm Deb Haaland?
… Do you think Alaskan’s deserve better representation?
… How exactly do you and Lisa plan to work together, in unity for Alaska and Alaskans?
… What assurances do we Alaskan’s have that we can experience a better success rate (and confidence) than what the both of you have since delivered?
… Do you and Lisa see better opportunities for your children living in Alaska than when the both of you grew up?
… When can Alaskan’s expect to see meaningful and measurable progress from both you and Lisa?
… What are the next Mega-Project(s) for resource development in Alaska’s near-term future, that the Federal Guv’ment can help provide accelerate permitting, reduced regulation, and hassle-free access?
… Is Alaska still an attractive venture for resource development?
… Seems like Alaska has a very attractive portfolio of resources (Oil – Gas – Timber – Coal – Gold – Zinc – Critical Minerals – Etc), if only allowed to and given a fair shot at developing. Or, is it more convenient to develop resources from far away, where labor is paid pennies, safety standards are minimal, environmental regulations are non-existent, and graft – greed – corruption are paramount?
Well that’s good but why did you vote for more foreign aid that we can’t pay for?
Sullivan is a hypocrite as his voting record shows he does not care about the issues that effect the taxpayer.
Because sometimes you have to cut off a toe to save the foot.
Danny – you voted for Deb Haaland AND you voted for the Ukranian bill, without protection for our own borders. You seem to fall in line as a foot soldier for McConnell spewing propaganda and trying to gaslight us. Nice try but the American public isn’t buying it, we see right thru you.
You speak this Dan but you consistently vote with the Biden administration and don’t forget that you and murkowski voted to confirm Haaland…remember? Alaska does
Swampy Dan is in the top 5 in regretted votes for me. If we were gonna have a Democrat Senator, we should have kept Begich. At least he was good at being a Democrat.
Well, we still have Princess Lisa, one of the best Democrats that money (and power) can buy.
And I’m sure Sullivan would be the first one to blame Biden for higher gas prices if he did cut off all oil exports from Iran. What a joke.
What are you going to do about it, Senator Sullivan?
Number One Emeny of the United States is not China, Iran, or Russia.
Is Biden and the liberals democratcs
An what will he do about it, other than flapping his lips!
Remember when Biden was elected lots of us had problems with this guy but Sullivan and most of congress said don’t worry this is a man we can work with it’s hard to listen to Sullivan complain now. He won’t do anything about it. Mike svenson
Gosh Dan, maybe you shouldn’t have voted to confirm the most anti-oil, anti-development and anti-Alaska Interior Secretary in American history!
Unfortunately, Alaska’s junior senator supports President Biden and the Democrats in crucial votes that affect Alaska. For example, appointments that have a profound effect on Alaska’s ability to drill for oil and conduct its own affairs. He then has the chutzpah to immediately send out emails asking for money each time one of those votes of his results in Alaska taking it in the shorts.
I donated hundreds of dollars to his first campaign. Never again.
The puppeteer team directing our executive branch are likely not even Americans and are heck bent on undermining and destroying our country. They are globalist elitists with Marxist values and want an elitist society that they rule, with just enough of us to keep the wheels turning. All the ‘cxxp’ they push upon us from identity politics, to cultic environmentalism, to DEI, gender obsession, socialism, marxism, entitlement, vengeance, resentment, division, etc, etc, all for the purpose of chaos, more division, societal and economic collapse, where they can then usher in the ultimate solution that certainly won’t include freedom and independent success or even a quality of life for those not ‘ruling’;. If any of us survive it will be only as worker bees. Sound outlandish? I doubt I am far from the mark. Power and control.
Betsy, sadly you are absolutely correct!
Lotta negative comments here…I don’t believe that Sullivan is listening to his constituents, he lost us when he voted for Ukraine instead of America. I would like to know more about his stock profile since becoming senator. Prolific stock (insider) trader.
Every time that Sullivan votes on something that is helping to destroy humanity, he hurries up and publishes an article trying to explain himself away (and lousily at that). Dan, you sold us out again…and again…and again…and again (and on and on). The people know this and you will be remembered for your actions.
When all of our congressional members continually vote with the fascist Dems and other RINOs, they do not learn a single thing. All they had to do was remember how Manchin made deals for his state for his botes and then got screwed over. Its happened to them time and again and so it should be no surprise not getting anything for your consistent votes to destroy America.
I believe Sullivan is not sincere. He came out with a statement against Biden but I think it was a CYA statement.
Its time for all 3 of our traitors in congress to lose thei jobs. The sooner the better.