President Biden seemed shocked at the suggestion that his tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was political motivated due to the midterm elections three weeks away.
Biden announced that 15 million additional barrels of oil would be released from the emergency reserve. He claimed it would lower gas prices as well as increase domestic oil production. After he finished his remarks at White House, a reporter shouted at him. He then asked her to “speak louder.”
“What do you think of Republicans who claim that you only did this SPR release in order to help Democrats during the midterms?” The reporter was curious.
“Where have they been for the past four months?” Biden laughed and said “That’s my answer.”
“Is it politically motivated sir, three week before the midterms?” Another reporter asked.
Biden sounded irritated and said “No, it is not.” It makes sense. This has been going on for how many years? It is not politically motivated. It is motivated to continue pushing for what I have been advocating. That means making sure that there is enough oil being pumped by companies to allow us to produce enough gas here at home. We also need oil here. And, at the same time, we must continue moving towards alternative energy. This is what I have been doing. The problem is that these guys were asleep. I don’t know their whereabouts. And the pump price should reflect the cost of a barrel oil. It’s not consistently going down.
Biden’s Democrats face the possibility of losing their congressional majority in the midterms. High gas prices will continue to be a problem in their political side in 2022. Recent setbacks for the Biden administration were caused by the Saudi Arabia-led OPEC oil conglomerate cutting oil production.
Wednesday’s claim by Biden that the U.S. has cut oil production was a fabrication. This is a criticism of his administration which has been criticized for its push to transition from fossil fuels into green energy. After falling to record levels earlier in the year, gas prices have risen in recent weeks.
In September, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association predicted that the average cost for heating a home in the United States from all fuels, including propane and heating oil, would rise 17.2% this winter. This will force millions of low-income families to make tough choices about whether to pay rent, food, or heat. Over the past few months, natural gas prices have risen to levels that are far above historical trends.
