What Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and members of “the Squad” lack in understanding of basic economics, they more than make up for with understanding how to escape accountability.
While New York was breaking new records for COVID-19 infections, the New York congresswoman abandoned her home district for maskless cocktails in the sunny freedom of Florida. When busted, she treated the national electorate to a sophomore-level “deflection in defense” of the vacation, suggesting the real problem is that everyone wants to date her.
However, on the very same day everyone was apparently too busy trying to get a date with Ocasio-Cortez, she was adding her name to a letter from a cadre of avowed opponents of energy to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, expressing sudden outrage that energy prices are spiking.
Instead of looking in the mirror, these brave members of Congress decided to blame the energy industry they love to demonize for a price spike they have always supported and tried to bring about.
Let us pause for a moment to put a finer point on this juxtaposition. The original author of the Green New Deal, which strives to end the production of oil and gas, is now complaining that oil and gas should be cheaper and more readily available. Perhaps this is not an isolated problem — maybe Ocasio-Cortez proudly vacations in a conservative state with one of the best records on COVID because she doesn’t believe anything she says at all.
You see, Ocasio-Cortez and the handful of socialists she hangs with in Congress desperately need to sell their latest energy bogeyman, because they are worried that voters might actually figure out who is causing prices to rise. Their Green New Deal-style policies, doled out by Joe Biden through a record number of executive orders (since even his own party will not pass it legislatively), is responsible for high prices at the pump and at the furnace.
Remember when Biden canceled the Keystone pipeline? The Squad cheered. When Biden tried to stop oil and natural gas production on federal land? They approved. When Biden ran to OPEC pathetically begging for more oil to make up for the losses in U.S. production? They stayed silent.
Amazingly, now that an election year is here, the leftists are worried there could be a political price to pay for the massive Green Tax they are effectively imposing on motorists. The Squad is trying to deflect, but we know better.
Natural gas shipped all the way from Trinidad and Tobago is set to arrive this week in Boston. Natural gas prices have shot up in New England in part because the region lacks pipeline access and thus is reliant on foreign energy.
The Squad has fought against pipelines, and now their efforts have led to massive prices for their constituents. For those keeping track, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has signed on to the letter as well. To her credit, at least she was not partying in Florida at the same time.
During the first year of the Biden administration, U.S. oil output dropped further than expected. Even worse, our country surrendered its energy independence because of their ideology, forcing domestic consumers and our allies in Europe to further rely on foreign energy. These are two facts the eco-truth deflectors won’t ever discuss.
Green actions have consequences. Don’t let the Ocasio-Cortez and the Squad ever forget it.
Larry Behrens is communications director for Power The Future.
