(EFE).- President Joe Biden once again on Wednesday criticized oil companies, accusing them of not refining enough crude oil and demanding that they lower the price of fuel for US consumers “right now.”
Noting that over the past two weeks, the crude oil price has fallen by more than $10 per barrel and normally that would reduce gas prices by about $0.25 per gallon, although oil companies have only cut prices by a few cents, Biden added that “I fully understand that a gas tax holiday alone is not going to fix the problem, but it will provide families some immediate relief, just a little bit of breathing room as we continue working to bring down prices for the long haul.”
The president made his remarks at the White House as he was asking Congress to approve his proposal to eliminate federal taxes on gasoline and diesel during the months of July, August and September.
Biden’s plan would temporarily remove the $0.18 tax per gallon gasoline and the $0.24 tax per gallon on diesel imposed by the federal government to pay for highway maintenance, among other things.
The president said that the country’s strong economic recovery after the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic would allow the government to perform the necessary work to maintain US roadways without needing the money coming from those taxes.
It is not clear, however, how much savings would be transferred to consumers, and Republicans have not delayed in calling the proposal a mid-term election year “trick” that, in addition, would only serve to increase inflation, which is already higher than it has been in quite a number of years.
Biden has wanted to send a message to conservatives to assure them that the problem of gas prices is not due to a lack of production of US crude but rather that the country’s oil companies are not refining enough petroleum due to the closure of refineries during the pandemic.
On Thursday, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will meet with executives from several oil companies, including Chevron and ExxonMobil, to try and find solutions to the historic rise in fuel prices.
Related Story: Granholm — President could use Defense Production Act to handle gas supply crisis after asking for tax holiday
Granholm said that she was going to ask the firms what their production capacity is, her comments coming during the daily White House press conference shortly after Biden finished making his remarks.
She also clarified that part of the reason that she will be meeting with the oil firm execs is to see how the price reduction resulting from an elimination of federal taxes can be passed on to consumers.
The energy chief acknowledged the distrust among oil companies, especially after the letters Biden sent last week to execs of seven of those firms demanding “immediate” action to deal with the historic fuel price increase.
Granholm said that she will go into the meeting without any “lines drawn in the sand,” and that she will honestly discuss with the execs how to transform the big profits their firms have been making into alleviating the hit consumers are taking in their wallets due to the higher prices.
In addition, the energy secretary issued a call to the firms to strengthen their investments in renewable energy and lower fuel emissions, including solar and nuclear power, with an eye toward fostering an energy transition and limiting dependence on fossil fuels.
The US administration mainly blames Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the rise in fuel prices and asserts that this is the price Americans must pay so that Russia doesn’t “get away with it.”
Gas prices in the US on June 11 reached $5 per gallon, a record set even as the country is experiencing the highest inflation in 40 years.
A year ago, in June 2021, the average per-gallon gas price in the US was $3.07, practically $2 below the current price.
In addition, in 20 of the country’s 50 states prices are above $5 per gallon, especially on the West Coast.
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I hope they tell you where to go, Biden. You shut them down when they were operating at peak efficiency and we had energy independence. You came into office when gasoline was running at just over $2 per gallon. You killed the Keystone Pipeline project which would have provided thousands of barrels of oil per day.
YOU ASININE MORON, WE WOULDN’T BE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WERE IT NOT FOR YOUR IDIOTIC DECISIONS.
he knows full well imo this is a bull call.. BUT HE DOESN’T care.
Another day, another idiotic rant from slo joe. It was tiresome a long time ago. Change your policies you imbecile.
The whole problem is, in order to “change his policies,” he would have to implement some of Trump’s policies. And, to do that is to admit Trump was right all along. Can’t do that, because … ego.
AND because orange man bad..
Unbelievable……………….the man is not just an idiot he’s utterly senile! He should be living in a rest home for the mentally declined not living in the White House! His cognitive state is so obviously bad I’m sure his handlers cringe every time he gets anywhere near a microphone. They have to herd and usher him around like a 3-year-old who has no idea where to go. They probably spend half the day changing his depends for him. It’s just sick to witness the defilement of the great office of President with a brain-dead moron like JB.
Joe needs to think in terms that gas prices are like taxes. If you lower the price the people in control lose power,,,,which is why he tried to raise the price of Petroleum and our taxes and debt to the point NOBODY could afford it. Joe and his party of chuckleheaded social molesters might have to deal with the frictions of not having their petroleum jelly to grease their passions for dominance, but they still would be in total power which is really all that matters to them. There are executive Orders that give bad Executive Oders. This happens to be one of them.
PENCE takes the blame, for saddling us with him. HAD HE HAD a spine, and stood UP TO the steal, maybe we’d not be in this mess.
Sorry Ituser but Pence could not have legally done anything to change the outcome of the election. At best it would have only delayed the certification for a few hours, or maybe a day. It is a shame, but that is the cold hard truth, and we’re stuck with it until this November and then November 2024. If the American people are thinking, then just the poor shape of our economy will be enough to toss the democrats from our government.
AMEN!!
“The energy chief acknowledged the distrust among oil companies, especially after the letters Biden sent last week to execs of seven of those firms demanding “immediate” action to deal with the historic fuel price increase.”
* Only a treasonous Democrat Party’s “useful idiot” would trust ANYTHING coming from this treasonous, destructive, unethical, socialist Democrat Party or their corrupt, demented puppet president F… Joe Biden.
“The US administration mainly blames Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the rise in fuel prices”
* Then why did fuel prices start going up on the first week of the corrupt, demented, puppet president assuming office and continued to keep going up every week since??
This treasonous, Hateful, destructive, immoral, socialist Democrat Party and their corrupt, demented puppet president has become our country’s most destructive and deadliest ENEMY!
Can’ t make gas without oil!
This old fool has backed himself into a corner he can’t get out of. I bought gas yesterday and paid an average national price for it. It was $4.93 a gallon. If it was .18 cents less it would still be $4.75 a gallon. Is that going to make me or anyone else happy? I don’t think so.
AND even if it did pass, for 3 whole whapping months, DOES HE REALLY THINK that will buy him and his party a win in november?
He’s asking the very companies he’s trying to shut down for good to take the risk of investing in ventures that he may just shut down on a whim such as he did the first day in office with cancelling the pipeline and stopping leases. Companies have no reason to trust his word because it may change within the next few minutes while the apologists make excuses for gaffes as they call them.
Biden and the Village Idiots in his Gang of Incompetent Malcontents are a Clear and Present Danger! Without Fossil Fuels there would be NO Trains, Planes, Automobiles or Ships which we ALL rely upon to deliver the Goods and Services we NEED! Petroleum is also used in a number of Products we use Everyday! We generate Electricity by burning Oil, Coal and Gas with some Nuclear Plants (which we need more of) that we Cannot do without! Wind and Solar Energy have PROVEN to be an Unreliable Substitute! By the way, these Environmental Chicken Littles who are Sounding the Alarm using Questionable Data generated by So Called Experts that have the Same Mindset they have! These “facts” the Propaganda Press vomits out are more like “opinions” and some outright lies in my humble opinion! If you haven’t noticed Biden and the democrats have Created this problem and many other problems which they Always Blame Someone Else! It is About Time for them to PAY for what they have done!
THESE Cretins, don’t CARE about what we need.. to THEM, only THEY KNOW what’s best for us.
>> Biden and the Village Idiots in his Gang of Incompetent Malcontents <<
Wow, does that sum things up nicely.
Brandon, why can’t you understand? Oil companies do not set the prices for fuel. It’s an openly sold commodity on the world stock exchange. Buyers and sellers set the price. Gas stations don’t! Return to what President Trump set up. It was working beautifully until you stepped foot in it. Absolute brainless embicile.
Perhaps Grumpy Gramps should restart the Keystone XL pipeline … Right Now!!!
HE caused this!!! (or whoever is running the country). There is an easy solution Brandon; Ask President Trump!!!
Hell will freeze over, before he ever asks trump for help.
Just more deflection from the clown who’s caused all of our problems. I hope those who voted and or cheated for him are proud now.