Joe Biden is going out with a bang—or rather, a ban. In what can only be described as a parting gift of sabotage, Biden announced a sweeping prohibition on future offshore oil and gas drilling, effectively kneecapping American energy independence just as his successor, President Trump, prepares to retake the White House. This isn’t policy; it’s a political trap.
Using the 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Biden blocked drilling across 625 million acres of federal waters, including the East and West Coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and portions of Alaska’s northern Bering Sea. The Western Gulf of Mexico, where drilling is already active, is exempt—for now. Biden framed his decision as an environmental necessity, claiming it would protect coasts from “irreversible damage” and safeguard them for “our children and grandchildren.”
That’s rich coming from the man whose administration’s energy policies have driven gas prices sky-high, forcing Americans to bear the brunt of an ill-conceived “green” agenda. Biden’s rhetoric about transitioning to a “clean energy economy” conveniently ignores the reality: America still relies heavily on oil and natural gas, and his policies have only increased dependence on foreign energy sources.
Trump isn’t buying it. In a recent interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump called Biden’s move “ridiculous” and vowed to reverse it immediately upon taking office. But here’s the catch: undoing this mess won’t be as simple as signing an executive order. A 2019 court ruling determined that bans under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act cannot be overturned by subsequent presidents. Trump knows this all too well, as he lost a bid to reverse Barack Obama’s Arctic and Atlantic Ocean drilling bans. What it will take to undo Biden’s ridiculous ban is an act of Congress. Thankfully, we have the House and the Senate.
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP: "I see it just came over that Biden has banned all oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory. It's ridiculous. I'll unban it immediately."
Drill baby, drill! pic.twitter.com/yJ95jmPRYs
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 6, 2025
This latest maneuver isn’t just an environmental virtue signal; it’s a deliberate effort to box Trump into a corner. Biden’s agenda has always been about appeasing radical environmentalists, no matter the cost to American workers or the economy. The Biden administration recently blocked energy development on 264,000 acres of Nevada’s Ruby Mountains for 20 years, signaling a broader war on domestic energy production.
While Biden waxes poetic about protecting coasts for future generations, the real legacy of his energy policies will be higher prices, reduced economic growth, and a weaker America. Undoing this damage will take more than resolve—it’ll take a legal and legislative fight. Trump, however, seems more than ready for the challenge.