US to resume oil, gas drilling on public land despite Biden campaign pledge

US to resume oil, gas drilling on public land despite Biden campaign pledge

The proposal was quickly denounced by several environmental groups, with one calling it "a reckless failure of climate leadership." Oil industry groups praised the move but said it did not go far enough.

The announcement by the Interior Department, made late Friday before a holiday weekend, is the latest move to reform the federal oil and gas leasing program since Biden took office in January 2021. The administration has faced ongoing pressure to address high energy prices driven by the economic rebound from the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Democrat had pledged several times during his presidential campaign to halt federal drilling auctions, but that effort has been stymied by a court challenge from Republican-led states.

During a campaign event in Hudson, New Hampshire, in February 2020, Biden told the audience: "And by the way — no more drilling on federal lands, period. Period, period, period.”

The Biden administration has taken several steps to tame surging gasoline prices and inflation, made worse by crude oil prices spiking due to the war in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on Russia by the United States and its allies.

Inflation is seen as a significant liability for Democrats heading into the November mid-term elections.

Friday's announcement would make