Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, blamed the Biden administration for its handling of spiking gas prices nationwide.
Cruz delivered the strong remarks during the committee’s meeting on Wednesday in response to increased energy costs under President Joe Biden, noting 40-year high inflation under the president’s leadership.
RELEASE: Sen Cruz Slams Biden Admin for Skyrocketing Gas Prices: ‘They Told the American People They Would do This, And They Kept Their Promise.’
https://t.co/s1WC1RvfVd— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) April 7, 2022
“Over the past 15 months, we’ve seen inflation grow higher than any time in the last 40 years. Perhaps the most painful driver of inflation has been the skyrocketing cost of gasoline at the pump,” Cruz told the committee.
“When Joe Biden took the oath of office, the average retail price of gasoline was $2.38 a gallon. Today, it is $4.23 a gallon. In some parts of the country, the price has crossed $6.90 a gallon. This was not an accident. It was not an unintended side effect. Nor was it principally the result of the war in Ukraine. This was the result of the Green New Deal zealots in the Biden administration. They told the American people they would do this. And they kept their promise. And now, the Democrats have discovered they have a problem,” he added.
Cruz announced Biden has launched a “war” on American energy, preferring oil from a nation launching a war rather than producing oil within the nation’s own borders.
“That’s why we’re having this hearing. Not to discuss how President Biden launched a war on American energy, and would rather buy gas from the Maduro regime or from Vladimir Putin than from Americans making money here in America. Rather, it’s that people don’t like paying four and five and six and $7 a gallon to fill up their tank,” the Texas senator argued.
“The Biden administration’s assault on oil and gas production began during his campaign when he pledged during the debate and I want you to look at what he said. He said quote, ‘No more drilling on federal lands. No more drilling including offshore. No ability for the oil industry to continue to drill. Period. Ends,” he added.
Cruz commented that the increased gas costs are not a surprise. Biden “delivered” on his promises to end the Keystone XL pipeline and halt federal oil and gas lease sales.
“That’s what he promised the American people and you know what? He delivered on that promise the first day in office – he cancelled the Keystone pipeline. The next week he halted all federal oil and gas lease sales, stopping development on the part of the economy that produces 24% of America’s energy. On May 7, Biden’s Interior Department announced plans prohibiting oil gas production on 30% of U.S. federal lands on June 1, but first Biden revoked leases on the North Slope of Alaska, totaling 16 billion barrels of oil in stranded production. On October 7, Biden eliminated Trump’s permit streamlining regulations. On October 29, Biden’s interior began using the quote, ‘social cost’ of carbon in permitting, which is a new kind of analysis never enacted by Congress designed to get to know and deny permits. And then on March 21, just a few weeks ago, Biden’s Security and Exchange Commission announced a new regulation aimed at reducing investment in oil and gas cutting off capital for drilling,” the senator documented.
Cruz concluded his remarks with placing the blame directly on Biden and Democrats, rather than Biden’s effort to redirect blame on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Supply and demand has been how prices have been set from the dawn of time, supply and demand still operates. The Biden administration has waged a war on supply and prices have skyrocketed. This is not an accident. This is not Putin. This is Joe Biden and the Democrats in the Green New Deal and they’re desperately looking for a political excuse to blame somebody else for the consequences of what they promised they would do to the American people,” he said.
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Source: Dailywire
