On Wednesday, congressional candidate Nick Begich issued a blistering statement about President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel oil and gas leases in Alaska, calling the president and his allies “economic terrorists,” and linking Biden ally Rep. Mary Peltola to the administration.
“This is a clear attack on Alaska’s economy and way of life and a violation of covenants made under ANILCA,” Begich wrote. “Time after time, the Biden administration and its allies in congress put the interest of their political donors and radical activists ahead of the needs of working Alaskans.”
Biden announced on Wednesday that all new oil and gas exploration and production on Alaska’s North Slope would be canceled. The president has drawn much rebuke from Alaska leaders and has invited a law suit over the matter, probably from the State of Alaska and the Alaska Industrial and Export Authority.
“The Biden administration is being driven by eco-activists who have used the tools of economic terrorism to achieve their goals. From canceling bank financing for Arctic development, to taking over board leadership at leading oil and gas companies, to tying up Alaskan lands in endless court battles, Biden and his allies have made it clear: they will stop at nothing to shut down oil and gas development in Alaska. You can’t negotiate with terrorists. Alaskans must take a stand by kicking Joe Biden out of the White House in 2024 and removing his loyal ally Mary Peltola from Congress.”
Rep. Peltola endorsed Biden for president earlier this year. Begich filed to run against her in June.
After Biden approved the Willow project for the NPR-A, Biden told his supporters, “My strong inclination was to disapprove of [Willow] across the board. But the advice I got from counsel was if that were the case, I might very well lose in court to the oil company and then not be able to do what I really want to do beyond that, and that is conserve significant amounts of Alaskan sea and land forever.”
