In a parting gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden appears set to restrict offshore oil and gas development further. It’s a boon to Putin. The Russian leader hopes to undermine the Western alliance structure and associated support for Ukraine by relying on the frustration of European populations at their soaring energy prices. Expanded U.S. liquid natural gas exports offer a critical ingredient toward bringing down those energy prices. Those exports obviously also boost American jobs and influence.

Sadly, Biden seems more concerned with gaining legacy favor with far-left activists. Bloomberg reports that “Biden is set within days to issue the executive order barring the sale of new drilling rights in portions of the country’s outer continental shelf …”