Senate Democrats Call On Biden To Work To Lower Gas Prices

On Monday, eleven Senate Democrats sent a letter to President Biden urging him to “consider all tools available” to lower gas prices, which have soared since Biden took office as a result of his anti-oil policies.

“We are writing to express our support for your efforts to help families and businesses across the nation who are struggling to cope with soaring gasoline prices,” the group wrote. “We agree with your recent comments at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) that as the United States works to boost the development of clean and renewable energy over the long-term, we must ensure that Americans are able to afford to fill up their cars at the pump in the meantime.”

The Democrats noted that the gas prices have reached their highest since 2014, with a 50% increase since Biden took office.

“In our home states, high gasoline prices have placed an undue burden on families and small businesses trying to make ends meet, and have proven especially burdensome as our constituents continue to recover from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the group explained.

“We share the administration’s concerns that the decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and others to purposefully manipulate gas prices by constraining supply, as well as the choice of domestic leaseholders and producers to continue to export U.S. petroleum, threaten to send already record prices even higher,” the group continued. “Continued U.S. exports and overseas supply collusion could be devastating to many in our states, contributing to higher bills for American families and businesses.”

“In light of these pressing concerns, we ask that you consider all tools available at your disposal to lower U.S. gasoline prices,” the group concluded. “This includes a release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and a ban on crude oil exports. We hope you will consider these tools and others to make gasoline more affordable for all Americans.”

The letter comes as Biden administration has been considering shutting down an oil pipeline in Michigan, which would further restrict the oil supply.

“Revoking the permits for the [Line 5] pipeline that delivers oil from western Canada across Wisconsin, the Great Lakes and Michigan and into Ontario, would please environmentalists who have urged the White House to block fossil fuel infrastructure, but it would aggravate a rift with Canada and could exacerbate a spike in energy prices that Republicans are already using as a political weapon,” Politico Pro reported. “Killing a pipeline while U.S. gasoline prices are the highest in years could be political poison for Biden, who has seen his approval rating crash in recent months.”