Believe Facts, Not Opinions

To The Editor: When something someone states as fact sounds unlikely to be true, it never hurts to do a little research. In Tuesday’s paper, a letter to the editor made two claims that made me feel I should do just that.

The first concerned an executive order issued by the president, which this letter claimed meant the government was “federalizing elections.” Here’s a video that lays out this argument: Hemingway: Biden’s Takeover Of Elections Is Unconstitutional And Chaotic (thefederalist. com) The order, however, contains no language calling for federal agencies to “administer elections.” The actual text can be read on whitehouse.gov in an article called “Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting - The White House.” It directs federal agencies to create and implement stronger programs for voter outreach to communities that are often marginalized, including members of the armed forces, when it comes to voter registration and information. Here’s a short quote from the General Provisions section at the end of the executive order: “This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.”

Elections are not being “federalized.” The order is a set of instructions that changes no laws and, as far as I can tell, appropriates no extra monies.

The second concerned President Biden’s actions regarding oil drilling. While it is true that the executive branch has put a temporary freeze on drilling leases on public lands, the vast majority of leases issued are for drilling on private lands, and a good many of those are apparently sitting unused. There is no shortage of drilling to be done. This I learned from an article in Newsweek magazine, “Have Biden Administration Policies Reduced U.S. Oil Production?”

Don’t take my word for it – check it out for yourself.

Amanda Rudack La Grange