As a practicing attorney with the utmost respect for the law, and as Black Granite Stater, let me say how proud I am of President Joe Biden. I join the majority of Granite Staters who are happy to have ushered in this new Administration compared to the previous one. And beyond that, let me say how incredibly proud I am to have Kamala Harris as our Vice President. While I have been in Nashua for over 20 years, I came from the same neighborhood in Oakland as our Vice President. I assure you that there are not many attorneys from where we grew up and it is a major historic feat to have one reach the Vice Presidency.

But – like so many other Americans, I too am feeling the pain of rising energy costs. Heating, cooling, electricity, and gas are not just another bill anymore. These costs are busting family budgets and hitting the poorest and most disadvantaged Americans first and hardest. Rising energy prices are limiting our freedoms and our economic mobility.

To be clear, I am a progressive who proudly supports the ambitious green goals our party has outlined. Renewable energy is clearly our future. In the face of climate change, it makes environmental sense, and in terms of industry and jobs, it makes economic sense. It also makes national security sense as we will be less dependent on foreign sources of energy, some coming from challenges and even adversaries to our country.

I also believe that we need to take a more practical approach to our transition to green energy. We should be putting all options on the table to ensure that the economic gains made by both themiddle class and those on the lower end of the economic ladder during the past fifty years are not erased by rising energy costs.

The Biden Administration has a big choice coming up, one that will have a lasting impact on America’s energy supply for years to come. The current five-year offshore leasing program expires at the end of June. This program has been around since 1980 and every President, including President Obama, has always renewed it. It is a common-sense approach to energy in a time when we need it the most.

Normally, a proposed plan would already be in place to give the oil and gas industry some idea of projected lease sales over the next five years, but the agency responsible for preparing the plan is already months behind schedule. Although the law requires a plan to be in place before July 1, the delay will result in no new lease sales for sixteen months or more, and it’s going to have an impact on energy consumers.

I had the privilege of meeting every major candidate that has run for President since 2016. I know what my party stands for, and, more than anything, it is working together in real terms to better the lives of all Americans. Right now, more than ever before we need Joe from Scranton, and Kamala from the block to understand our problems and act as fast as possible to finalize America’s offshore leasing program and address our rising energy costs. It is not a panacea, but it is common sense, and an obvious step in helping to fix the mess they were handed.

I urge our delegation, Senators Shaheen and Hassan, and Representatives Kuster and Pappas to realize that America needs to adopt an “all of the above” energy policy that includes domestic offshore oil and gas production now. Please work on behalf of all Granite Staters who are feeling the rising energy costs, especially those who may come from marginalized or disadvantaged backgrounds. By taking common-sense steps to continue America’s domestic offshore leasing program, we can help to ensure our transition to a greener world is not at the expense of the poorest in society.

Marcus Scott is a resident of Nashua.