Daily on Energy: Biden leasing promises meet political reality

President Joe Biden's promise to end new drilling for oil and gas on federal lands is colliding with the cold realities of soaring fuel costs.

Some centrist Democrats, several of whom are up for reelection this year, are requesting that Biden do more via the leasing program to bring price relief — and their ask is not where his preferences lie.

These Democrats are asking Biden to speed up development of the five-year offshore oil and gas leasing plan "as required" by federal law to bring more oil and gas to market to help displace Russia's market share and lower prices.

"The United States can and should be doing more to meet the global energy demand, provide much-needed relief for U.S. consumers and businesses suffering from inflationary prices, and diminish Russia's largest source of revenue," Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar, Sylvia Garcia, Vicente Gonzalez, and Lizzie Fletcher, all of Texas, wrote to Biden last week.

The four appealed to Biden's political sensibilities, too, and said more production can help "to ensure the United States does not find itself confronting future energy crises at home."

In the Senate, four of Biden's fellow Democrats, including Arizona's Mark Kelly, voted in favor of a motion last week designed to facilitate quicker development of the now-delayed offshore leasing program.

The Biden administration favors neither the onshore nor offshore leasing programs, as Biden himself campaigned on ending drilling on public lands and waters.

Although the administration has moved forward with one lease sale in the last five months, and scheduled several more, officials have consistently pointed a finger at U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty to justify itself and, notably, not at the high and rising price of gasoline.