Years of attacks on reliable American energy sources — in the name of "green" policies — have taken us backward in our progress to produce affordable, accessible and clean energy. Global supply chain issues accelerated the consequences of these policies, leaving many Americans unable to afford gas and utilities.

Almost half of all American households use natural gas for heat, and the average family that relies on natural gas will have to pay 28% more to stay warm. As we inch closer to the coldest part of the year, we face the real threat of an energy crisis. 

Earlier this year, one in six American households — more than 20 million families — had past-due utility bills because of skyrocketing costs. But even the unaffordability of basic necessities could not deter President Joe Biden and his allies from their campaign to spread fear of an imminent climate emergency. They live in comfort while everyday Americans pay the price for their agenda. 

WH ADVISER JOHN PODESTA STAFFING UP WITH FAR-LEFT CLIMATE ACTIVISTS: 'NEED TO SET AMBITIOUS GOALS'

We must change course. 

Fossil fuels are integral to almost every part of our lives, from their obvious use in transportation to their behind-the-scenes role in products we use every day — like clothes, cleaning products, phones, pharmaceuticals … and even football helmets. 

We are nowhere near a world in which we can live without fossil fuels. Anyone who says otherwise, or promotes ideas that we can significantly curb our use in the next decade, is not living in reality. Unsustainable "green" policies and the relentless pursuit of eliminating fossil fuels are suffocating the American energy sector and increasing our reliance on foreign crooks and criminals for energy and oil. 

The Biden White House recently announced it will allow Chevron to resume the production and export of oil in Venezuela, a country led by a brutal communist regime. This dirty deal with a dictator will do almost nothing to ease the pain at the pump for Americans. And Venezuela’s oil fields are among some of the worst for the environment in the world, leaving many Americans to question the rationale for the policy shift. 

This follows administration policies over the past two years that have undermined our domestic energy industry — one of the cleanest in the world. Within hours of taking office, Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, which — by the way — would have delivered more than 800,000 barrels of oil per day to American refineries. The pipeline’s cancelation sent an immediate and clear signal to oil producers and investors that this administration was going to war with American energy. 

Also, on day one of his presidency, Biden halted new oil and gas leases on federal property, rejoined the Paris climate agreement — without our consent in Congress — and overturned crucial reforms to policies that led to historic energy production under the previous administration. 

These day-one actions were only the beginning of what has become a two-year crusade against American energy. 

Now, emboldened progressive government regulators at agencies like the Federal Reserve are attempting to force financial firms to consider the effects of climate change when making lending and investing decisions — an absurd over-reach into the private sector by activists posing as public servants. 

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This build-up of bureaucrats to harass businesses, farmers and energy producers is all in the name of climate justice. Is it just to encourage Americans who can’t afford gas to go out and buy an electric vehicle, the average cost of which is nearly $65,000? The condescension is palpable. 

And, to make matters worse, the Biden administration elites who push their climate agenda on average Americans are hypocrites. Take, for example, Biden’s hand-picked "climate envoy," John Kerry. Kerry spends his time warning Americans they will suffer unless they believe his extreme climate theories and change their behavior. Meanwhile, he flies around on his private plane, staying at one of his multiple homes, or sailing on his yacht. 

Biden, John Kerry, and climate activists want pain and suffering for you, but not for them. 

It’s hypocritical. And Americans see right through it. 

All of this hardship for American families has been in the name of fighting back against a so-called "climate crisis" that has yet to materialize. But the energy crisis is here. 

We cannot restore our economy until we revive our energy sector. The safety, security and well-being of the American people depend on leaders in Congress having the courage to stand up to green activists and stand with American families who need to fuel their cars and heat their homes.