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GOP lawmakers react to Biden admin seeking oil from bad actor countries, not America; GOP lawmakers react

by mcardinal

Chris Lange, FISM News

 

As U.S. gas prices soar to $4/gallon nationally – even as high as $7 in some cities – a New York Times report that the Biden administration is begging Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela for a bail-out has infuriated Republican lawmakers. 

Amid near record-breaking fuel costs and growing calls for the U.S. to break its ties with Russian oil, the administration continues to refuse to reinvigorate domestic production. It has instead kowtowed to climate activists, including members of the Democratic party’s progressive caucus. Critics, however, say the administration’s plan would merely transfer America’s unnecessary dependence on foreign oil from one brutal dictator to another – a practice European countries like Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands have pursued at their own peril, giving Russian President Vladimir Putin significant leverage in his continued war on Ukraine. 

Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the administration is considering importing oil from Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. The administration is also purportedly planning a trip to Saudi Arabia to broker a similar deal following months of begging OPEC to pump more oil. Meanwhile, Venezuela President Maduro, whom the U.S. does not even recognize, has been contacting major Wall Street firms to put pressure on the Biden administration to lift oil sanctions and reinstate diplomatic talks as the White House courts him for crude.

News of the administration’s closed-door negotiations prompted a flurry of backlash from Republicans.

“Biden is begging to buy more oil from Saudi Arabia. Biden is offering to buy more oil from #MaduroRegime. Biden is desperate to buy more oil from #Iran. The only ones he refuses to buy more oil from is Americans,” tweeted Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

“The White House would rather beg Venezuela and Iran for oil than unleash our own domestic supply,” wrote Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.)

Jeanette Nunez, Lieutenant Governor of Florida, slammed Biden for “embolden[ing] our enemies” by buying oil from “another murderous thug” in reference to Maduro.

Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), have long urged the Biden administration to reestablish U.S. energy independence, particularly in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a sentiment shared by much of the nation.

A recent HarrisX poll shared with Newsweek found that a majority of American voters, including registered Democrats, say they want the Biden administration to stop focusing on its green agenda and instead ramp up U.S. oil production. Responding to a question asking if the administration should “ease its focus on climate change and allow more oil and natural gas exploration in the U.S.,” 69% of answered “yes,” including 53% of registered Democratic voters.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki grew impatient when asked, point blank, why the administration is negotiating oil imports with bad actor countries instead of producing it at home during a Monday briefing.

“Well, to be very clear, federal policies are not limiting the supplies of oil and gas,” she began before being interrupted by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, who pointed out that President Biden signed an executive order “halting new oil and gas leases on public lands” shortly after taking office.

“Let me give you the facts here — and I know that can be inconvenient, but I think they’re important in this moment,” Psaki began testily. “To the contrary, we have — we have been clear that in the short term, supply must keep up with the demand we’re — we are — here and around the world, while we make the shift to secure a clear — clean energy future.” 

According to Reuters, President Biden could announce a ban on Russian oil today.

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