Sullivan: “What a Dangerous World This President Has Created” as Biden Administration Continues Sanctions on American Energy

04.18.24

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee(SASC), warned in a press conference today that the Biden administration's continued sanctions levied against American energy and critical mineral production endanger U.S. national security. The press conference was held in anticipation of the announcement that the Biden administration will impose severe restrictions on resource development in the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A) and kill access to the Ambler Mining District in Alaska. Meanwhile, the administration has emboldened and enriched the terrorist regime in Iran by lifting sanctions, leading to destabilization in the Middle East and attacks on America's service members and allies throughout the region.

Sen. Sullivan was joined in the press conference by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

"This administration is deliberately undertaking policies to punish Americans and undermine our strengths while continuing to help our adversaries," Sen. Sullivan said. "Tomorrow, they're going to undermine America's national security interests even further by announcing the shutdown of two of the most important energy and critical mineral developments in our country: the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A) and Alaska's Ambler Mining District.

"The message this administration is sending to the dictators in Iran, China and Russia is this: We won't use our resources to strengthen our country -- but you can use your resources to strengthen your country. Joe Biden is fine with our adversaries producing energy and dominating the world's critical minerals while shutting down our own in America, as long as the far-left radicals he feels are key to his reelection are satisfied. What a dangerous world this president has created."

Below is a full transcript of the Senator's opening remarks:

Good afternoon, everybody. I want to remind the press that following this press conference, we have a special opportunity to interview many of the American energy producers from Alaska who have been directly impacted by the policies we're going to talk about today. That's going to take place in the LBJ room.

So we'd love to have you there. Today, we're here to discuss how the Biden administration is fine with our adversaries producing energy and dominating the world's critical minerals markets while shutting down those in America. As we all know, the United States faces serious global national security challenges. In fact, I think many of us recognize we're living in some of the most dangerous times since World War II.

The dictators in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran are on the march. They're working together. They're trying to undermine America's national security interests and those of our allies across the globe. At other times of dangerous global challenges. The normal policy approach, both of Democrat administrations and Republican administrations, has been to maximize our country's strengths while undermining those of our adversaries. But the Biden administration is not normal.

Indeed, this administration is deliberately undertaking policies to punish Americans and undermine our strengths while continuing to help our adversaries. Think about the many examples. This administration lifted oil and gas sanctions on Iran after the Trump administration's successful maximum pressure campaign. And hardly a day goes by without stories about China dominating critical mineral markets and rare earth element markets flooding our market and those of our allies.

And this administration does nothing. Tomorrow, they're going to undermine America's national security interests even further by announcing the shutdown of two of the most important energy and critical mineral developments in our country: the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A) and Alaska's Ambler Mining District.

The NPR-A, we call it in Alaska, is roughly the size of Indiana. The NPR-A contains an estimated 17 billion barrels of conventional oil and 50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. It is considered one of the most prolific energy basins on the planet. It is right next to existing oil pipeline infrastructure and is producing American energy with the highest environmental standards in the world. But tomorrow, the Biden administration will issue an order to take 13 million acres of the NPR-A off the table for development.

The Ambler Mining District is considered one of the most extensive sources of undeveloped zinc, copper, lead, gold, silver anywhere on the planet. America desperately needs such mineral for our renewable energy sector, our economy to compete against China and for our own national security. But tomorrow, the Biden administration will reverse a previously permitted road to this critical region of America and say that whole region is off limits to mining. Our adversaries in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran will certainly be celebrating these national security suicide measures of this administration, which will undermine America's strength.

The Biden administration sanctions Alaskans, while terrorists in Iran and communists in China get strengthened. No wonder authoritarians are on the march.

These administration actions, of course, significantly hurt my constituents because they will detrimentally impact our jobs, futures and our state's economy. No group of Alaskans gets harmed more than the Alaska Native people by these actions. But the damage to our national security will even be greater.

The message this administration is sending to the dictators in Iran, China and Russia is this: We won't use our resources to strengthen our country. But you can use your resources to strengthen your country. Joe Biden is fine with our adversaries producing energy and dominating the world's critical minerals while shutting down our own in America. As long as the far-left radicals he feels are key to his reelection are satisfied.

What a dangerous world this president has created.

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