During an interview with CNBC, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was confronted about rising gas prices after claiming to be “pleased” by what she sees in the U.S. economy.
“We are seeing lower inflation, which is why I’m wondering how you’re thinking about the gas price, you know, big jump in the month of August,” host Sara Eisen said. “Crude is back above $90 per barrel. The Saudis are extending the production cuts through the end of the year. Are you looking at taking any action on this front?”
“Well, the president wants to make sure that gas prices remain affordable for Americans,” Yellen responded. “Americans care a great deal about the price of gas. They’re still down $1.20 of their highs last summer although they have gone up recently. China has ended its pandemic lockdowns and although Chinese growth is slower than expected, China coming back online, and the continuation of the production cuts by Saudi Arabia has lifted oil prices somewhat. We’re monitoring the situation very closely. The President has taken action over the last year. Certainly, the releases of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve have been important in holding down oil prices and we’ll continue to monitor that closely.”
When pressed by Eisen, who pointed out progress is being lost on this front, Yellen said she expected prices to “stabilize” and added, “we’ll just keep an eye on it.”
The national average of regular gas on Tuesday stands at $3.88 per gallon, according to AAA—far exceeding where prices were the day President Biden took office, at $2.39 per gallon.
Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen insists “[Joe Biden] wants to make sure that gas prices remain affordable for Americans.”
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 18, 2023
When Biden took office, a gallon of gas was $2.39. Today, a gallon is $3.88 and the price of gas has been above $3 per gallon for over 850 days. pic.twitter.com/SaP5U2WaWS
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