Less than one month after President Joe Biden approved nearly $400 billion in climate spending, the Democrat is plotting a "nationwide shift away from oil" through executive orders that could "effectively ban" internal combustion engine production.
In the next year, Biden is expected to unveil executive actions aimed at reducing vehicle and power plant emissions, the Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday. Those actions "have the potential to drive a nationwide shift away from oil and natural gas," according to the Chronicle. Biden, for example, is weighing new emissions standards for vehicles made in the 2030s, and environmental activists are pushing the Democrat to "set a standard rigorous enough to effectively ban the production of internal combustion engines."
There's reason to believe the Biden administration could support such a policy. After California banned the sale of new gas-powered cars as of 2035, Biden's energy secretary expressed support for the move and said the policy "could be" a "national model."
Biden's push for new anti-oil executive orders comes just weeks after the Democrat signed the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which is not expected to have "any measurable impact on inflation" but does funnel $370 billion toward green energy initiatives. The White House on Friday tapped John Podesta, who served as campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's failed 2016 presidential campaign, to oversee the spending.
The United States has experienced record-high energy costs under Biden—in late June, the national average for a gallon of gasoline hit $5 for the first time ever. The Democrat's administration responded by urging Americans to buy electric vehicles, which Biden said would save the "typical driver … about $80 a month from not having to pay gas at the pump."
For most Americans, however, purchasing an electric vehicle is not a feasible option. The average sticker price for an electric vehicle last year was $66,000, according to the New York Times.