Dems urge Biden to increase domestic energy production in the face of skyrocketing gas prices

FIRST ON FOX: A bunch of Texas Democrats Tuesday referred to as on President Biden to do extra to unleash home power manufacturing in the USA within the face of rising gasoline costs and reliance on overseas international locations for power.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, led a bunch of Texas Democrats in a letter to Biden Tuesday applauding his announcement to ban Russian oil imports whereas urging him to enact clear insurance policies to assist home power producers enhance power output for the U.S. and past.

“We can not anticipate tomorrow to do what must be performed as we speak,” the lawmakers stated in a letter to Biden first obtained by Fox Information Digital. “We should unleash accountable home manufacturing to counter reliance on Russian oil and gasoline, whereas concurrently slicing off Russia’s largest income. Now’s the time to regain our power independence and assist our allies across the globe.”

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The letter is signed by Gonzalez and fellow Texas Democrats Sylvia Garcia, Henry Cuellar and Filemon Vela. 

Whereas Republicans for months have been hammering Biden about boosting home power manufacturing, Tuesday’s letter is notable as a result of the plea is coming from Biden’s personal social gathering. It is also coming from Texas Democrats simply as Biden leaves for the Lone Star State for an occasion Tuesday on veterans’ healthcare.

President Biden proclaims a ban on Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economic system in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, Tuesday, March 8, 2022, within the Roosevelt Room on the White Home in Washington.
(AP Photograph/Andrew Harnik)

Earlier Tuesday on the White Home, Biden introduced he would ban Russian oil imports amid bipartisan strain to chop off funding for Vladimir Putin’s struggle with Ukraine. Biden blamed the skyrocketing gasoline costs on “Putin’s worth hike’ and rejected any notion that his administration is hampering oil and gasoline manufacturing. 

“It is merely not true that my administration or insurance policies are holding again home power manufacturing,” Biden stated Tuesday. “That is merely not true. Even amid the pandemic, corporations in the USA pump extra oil throughout my first yr in workplace, than they did throughout my predecessor’s first yr. We’re approaching document ranges of oil and gasoline manufacturing in the USA.”

The Democrats, nevertheless, blamed reliance on overseas oil and “restrictions on home manufacturing” for the excessive gasoline costs, which for the primary time since 2008 hit a mean of $4 per gallon on the pump. Additionally they referred to as out Biden for local weather change initiatives which have hampered home power manufacturing. 

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“Whereas we perceive and applaud your administration’s dedication to deal with local weather change, the U.S. abides by probably the most stringent rules making our oil and pure gasoline the cleanest on the earth,” the lawmakers wrote.

On this picture from video, Home impeachment supervisor Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, speaks throughout the impeachment trial in opposition to President Donald Trump within the Senate on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020. Garcia referred to as on Biden to spice up home power provides. (Senate Tv through AP)

When Biden took workplace he carried out new oil and gasoline restrictions as a part of his broader effort to deal with local weather change and give attention to renewable sources of power. He canceled the Keystone XL pipeline that will have transported fossil gasoline from Canada by way of the USA, and he froze new oil and gasoline leases on federal lands.

The lawmakers say home power producers wish to work with the Biden administration to provide the world with American power, however they first need assistance from Biden’s regulatory businesses.

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“Now’s the time to take sensible steps to advertise long-term American power manufacturing and decrease prices for American customers, drive down international emissions, and exhibit to the remainder of the world that they will depend on American oil and pure gasoline for his or her power wants effectively into the long run,” the lawmakers wrote to Biden.

The lawmakers continued: “Particularly, we name on you to encourage the Division of Power (DOE), the Federal Power Regulatory Fee (FERC), the Division of the Inside (DOI), Environmental Safety Company (EPA), and different businesses to undertake clear insurance policies that guarantee consistency, transparency, and timeliness for American power investments. Home power producers, refiners, and exporters are prepared, keen, and capable of work together with your administration to present our allies entry to a dependable supply of power and supply aid to American customers.”

The White Home pointed Fox Information Digital to Biden’s remarks Tuesday saying the ban on Russian oil, and didn’t touch upon the Democrats’ letter.