Under President Joe Biden and his extreme influencers, the federal government cannot move fast enough to deprive humanity of oil and gas resources that fuel society. In Colorado's 5th Congressional District, residents should applaud U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn for putting up a fight and refusing to relent.

In a hearing last week, Lamborn sided with members of the Western Energy Alliance to grill officials from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The agency, completely obtuse to the lives of average Americans, wants regulations that will jeopardize oil and gas development on millions of acres it manages — including 1.6 million in Colorado.

The BLM wants to crack down on energy leases on federal land to manage energy resources more "thoughtfully" as the United States transitions to a "clean energy economy."

"Thoughtfully," sure.

Be assured they will give no thought to the growing legions of Americans who can't afford gasoline to get to work. They will give no thought to people around the globe who die from polluted air as we hoard natural gas underground and leave them to cook and heat with twigs, garbage and dung.

As the BLM "thoughtfully" tries to cut back oil and gas production, it will give no thought to school districts that depend on local and regional oil and gas economies.

It will give no thought to soaring prices of all goods and services that result directly from the war on fossil fuels. It will give no thought to the food that is not produced, and the jobs not created, because energy costs too much.

As the BLM thoughtlessly adds to the world's energy price and supply problems, it will continue using emotional arguments toward its goal of reducing production on public lands. Last week, the BLM played the Bambi card and claimed the regulations would help wildlife.

Yes, BLM, we love wildlife and want it to flourish. Yet, we all should know this has nothing to do with wildlife.

"The protection of the sage grouse is the supposed rationale behind this drastic action," Lamborn said at the hearing.

"But this species has experienced a 24% increase in the Colorado population since 2019, just in the last four years. There's no dichotomy, you can have both. Colorado is the fourth largest producer of oil in the country and yet still finds a way to responsibly ensure a robust and healthy ecosystem."

Lamborn continued.

"Why does the BLM feel it is appropriate to hurt Americans and my own state of Colorado with this withdrawal when we're seeing positive benefits in wildlife in every sector?"

Lamborn directed his question to BLM Deputy Director Mike Nedd.

"Congressman," Nedd replied, as quoted by Gazette energy reporter Scott Weiser.

"I don't believe the Bureau of Land Management's intent is to hurt members or hurt the community."

That's nice, but irrelevant. The agency cannot possibly add more regulations to 1.6 million acres of energy abundant land — in Colorado alone — without knowingly threatening jobs and the surplus of oil and gas that is needed to save lives, power innovation and produce nearly all the world's goods and services.

Nedd and other BLM officials can play ignorant all they want, acting as if they are oblivious to the harm of energy obstruction. When the pain ensues, no one will care about intent.

The BLM has been warned, and its leaders know the harm this overreach would do.

In their evangelical zeal to go green — to go-along-get-along with the fashion crowd — they don't really care who gets hurt.

Thankfully, Lamborn gets it and cares enough to fight.

The Gazette Editorial Board

REPRINTED FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

Photo credit: The New York Public Library at Unsplash