In two separate press conferences this month, President Joe Biden has told the American people that his administration is fully focused on addressing the high price of gasoline that drivers are paying at the pump, but this ignores the major actions Biden took last year that have impacted domestic energy production.

Two weeks ago, President Biden delivered remarks on the economy, inflation, and energy costs and said:

“I’m going to work like the devil to bring gas prices down…”

Then yesterday, the president addressed the crisis in Ukraine and its impact on the energy sector and stated:

“As we respond, my administration is using every tool at our disposal to protect American businesses and consumers from rising prices at the pump.”

As the New York Post reported last week, gasoline prices continued their upward march recently:

“As of [Feb. 17], the average price of a gallon of gasoline stood at $3.52 nationally — or 22 cents more than it cost a month ago and more than $1 additional per gallon when compared to a year ago.”

Despite these pledges, President Biden forgets that he kicked off his presidency a year ago with a double whammy against the U.S. oil and natural gas industry that’s only served to undermine a robust supply of domestic energy.

The day he was sworn into office in January 2021, Biden cancelled the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Then a week later, President Biden halted oil and natural gas leasing on federal lands, and despite a judge’s ruling against this illegal ban, his administration continues to slow walk new lease sales.

Further undermining investment confidence in America’s energy sector, Democrats on Capitol Hill repeatedly pushed for a tax on natural gas in the stalled Build Back Better legislation.

Most recently, an injunction on the President’s social cost of carbon has resulted in another halt to permitting and leasing on federal lands.

It’s the reason that members of Congress, industry leaders, and energy policymakers are questioning the president’s promises to “work like the devil” and use “every tool at our disposal” to bring down gasoline and energy costs and are warning of increased dependence on Russia.

After canceling pipelines, banning drilling on federal lands, and declaring war on energy companies, Democrats suddenly want to repeal the gas tax.

Why? Because an election is coming. pic.twitter.com/cIWHt7IUsi

— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) February 15, 2022

.@POTUS, if you want to protect Americans from rising oil and gas prices, we MUST produce our energy at home. The green new deal shell game where we cut our oil production, but import from other countries (including Russia) is crazy and only hurts America!

— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) February 22, 2022

With gas prices at all-time highs & Russia escalating aggression, Biden should be announcing that the United States will be maximizing domestic energy production.

Instead, he’s shutting down the only thing to both lower emissions & lower prices at the pump: American oil and gas pic.twitter.com/wlbuLy01vA

— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) February 22, 2022

Joe Biden:

“I’m going to work like the devil to get gas prices down.”

So when will Biden restart the Keystone XL pipeline?

— Lance Gooden (@Lancegooden) February 17, 2022

In 2021, the United States imported over 230 million barrels of oil from Russia. It is imperative that we start promoting United States energy independence. pic.twitter.com/tzXRTgYD6Q

— Bryan Steil (@RepBryanSteil) February 22, 2022

Gas prices have risen more than 50% in the last year due in large part to the Biden admin’s unrealistic energy policies. And yet they expect us to believe they will use “every tool at [their] disposal” to keep gas prices from rising?

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) February 23, 2022

President Joe Biden has fueled this Russian-Ukraine crisis by canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline his first day in office and waiving sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Putin’s “lifeline,” according to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.

https://t.co/cmRgdO9LHx

— Newsmax (@newsmax) February 20, 2022

“The federal government is currently unlawfully neglecting the federal oil and gas leasing program, an economic staple of New Mexico and the backbone of the state’s general fund.” #nmpol #nmleg

— New Mexico Oil & Gas (@NMOilAndGas) February 21, 2022

Delaying federal oil & gas leasing sales is…not a good way to encourage more oil & gas drilling in the US.https://t.co/dWAc9Wg6Jh

— Ellen R. Wald Ph.D.🛢 (@EnergzdEconomy) February 21, 2022

As the Independent Petroleum Association of America’s Dan Naatz and Western Energy Alliance’s Kathleen Sgamma said in a recent op ed that detailed a short list of actions the president could take to alleviate prices:

“Our nation’s producers have a proven record of outstanding results supplying America and the world with abundant energy resources, while at the same time protecting the environment and our nation’s public lands. No need to reinvent the wheel Mr. President. Just let us do our work and the United States and the world will benefit.”