WH Spox Kirby: We Need to Lessen Dependence on OPEC, That’s Why Biden Issued Drilling Leases, and Is ‘Working So Hard on Clean Energy’

On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom,” White House NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said that the United States needs to be less dependent on foreign oil and that’s why President Biden “has issued more leases now, thousands more leases for drilling here in the continental United States that oil-producing companies haven’t taken advantage of fully.” And why he’s “working so hard on clean energy solutions. Because that’s really the future.”

Co-host Dana Perino asked, “The United States, under President Biden, has been releasing a million barrels of oil per day from our emergency Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Apparently, that irked the Saudis and possibly Putin as well, since Putin’s very much involved in this. Is it in our national interest to be more independent when it comes to oil? We have the means to do so. Will President Biden reverse course and allow us to drill more?”

Kirby answered, “We absolutely do agree that we need to be less dependent on OPEC+ and foreign producers of resources like oil. And that’s why the President did increase the draws from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try to help stabilize this. This is a global market. And it’s also why the President has issued more leases now, thousands more leases for drilling here in the continental United States that oil-producing companies haven’t taken advantage of fully. And it’s also why the President is working so hard on clean energy solutions. Because that’s really the future.”

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