Gasoline prices set a record Tuesday as Joe Biden blamed inflation on COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The cost of regular gasoline and diesel fuel at the pump reached their highest recorded average price Tuesday morning, the AAA reports.
And on Thursday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) blasted Joe Biden’s actions as pump prices continued to hit high record levels, Biden showed he doesn’t care about rising gas prices.
Here’s what the governor said in a tweet:
“Americans are grappling with record gas prices — up more than 50% since Biden took office — but he doesn’t care,” the governor said.
“Rather than increasing domestic energy production, it continues to reduce American production capacity (increasing our dependence on foreign oil) by canceling our oil and gas leases.”
Americans are struggling with record gas prices – up over 50% since Biden took office – but he doesn’t care. Rather than expand domestic energy production, he continues to reduce U.S. production capacity (increasing our reliance on foreign oil) by canceling our oil & gas leases.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 12, 2022
His remarks follow President Biden’s announcement to cancel oil and gas lease sales in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico as Americans continue to feel the pain in their pockets at the gas pump under the Biden’s leadership.
“The sale of Cook Inlet leases would not proceed due to insufficient industry interest,” a Home Office spokesman said this week, adding that lease sales in the Gulf will not continue. would not proceed due to “conflicting court rulings on leases”
Gas prices have been rising since Biden first came into office and began implementing a range of restrictions on domestic production. Within months of doing so, well before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. gas prices reached a seven-year high.
Biden on Tuesday acknowledged rising costs were hurting Americans but didn’t offer many details on what he would do about it.
The president also blamed the pandemic and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Energy nonprofit Power The Future said in a statement:
“Americans are waking up to the highest gas prices ever as President Biden’s energy failures continue to mount. The latest skyrocketing gas prices come less than two months from the previous record for regular gasoline while diesel has set a new record on a regular basis since last week.”
The organization’s founder and executive director, Daniel Turner, said:
“There is no doubt the White House is hoping that Americans simply become numb to yet another disastrous result of their energy failures, but the pain at the pump is too real and everyone intrinsically understands that Joe Biden is to blame.”
“President Biden is now a two-time record holder for the highest gas prices, the most oil drained from the strategic reserve and re-injecting the term ‘inflation’ back into the national lexicon for the first time since the 1970s. This type of failure doesn’t happen by accident. The President’s green ideology is a man-made disaster and we’re all paying the price.”
The nationwide average price of regular gasoline was $4.374, up to five cents from Monday, and diesel was $5.55, up one penny.
According to AAA, Michigan (+26 cents), New Jersey (+25 cents), Connecticut (+19 cents), Kentucky (+19 cents), Indiana (+19 cents), Rhode Island (+19 cents), Illinois (+18 cents), and Washington, D.C. had the nation’s ten greatest weekly hikes. (+18 cents), Tennessee (+18 cents), and Alabama (+18 cents).
California ($5.82), Hawaii ($5.28), and Nevada ($5.11) remain the nation’s ten most expensive markets, followed by Washington ($4.83), Oregon ($4.81), Alaska ($4.73), and Washington, D.C. New York ($4.51), Arizona ($4.66), Illinois ($4.59), and Arizona ($4.69).
Gas prices are also approaching new highs at a time of year when they typically rise as refiners transition to more expensive summer blends. As summer travel kicks up and demands for petroleum rise, gas prices are only going to rise even more.
Sixteen attorneys general called on Biden to reinstate the pipeline, prioritize domestic energy production, and “reverse the damage” he’s done. Last month, they wrote the president saying, “It’s never too late to admit your mistakes.”
Sources: Trendingpolitics, Newsweek, Theguardian