Yesterday President Joe Biden released a statement through White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan begging OPEC to pump more oil as gas prices in the United States continue to rise.
"Higher gasoline costs, if left unchecked, risk harming the ongoing global recovery. The price of crude oil has been higher than it was at the end of 2019, before the onset of the pandemic. While OPEC+ recently agreed to production increases, these increases will not fully offset previous production cuts that OPEC+ imposed during the pandemic until well into 2022. At a critical moment in the global recovery, this is simply not enough," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan released in a statement Wednesday morning.
"President Biden has made clear that he wants Americans to have access to affordable and reliable energy, including at the pump. Although we are not a party to OPEC, the United States will always speak to international partners regarding issues of significance that affect our national economic and security affairs, in public and private," he continued. "We are engaging with relevant OPEC+ members on the importance of competitive markets in setting prices. Competitive energy markets will ensure reliable and stable energy supplies, and OPEC+ must do more to support the recovery."
But the United States doesn't need OPEC. Under President Donald Trump, the country was not only energy independent, American oil was being exported to other countries.
During an interview with Fox News Thursday morning, laid-off Keystone XL Pipeline worker Bugsy Allen blasted the administration for cutting off jobs and oil supplies in the U.S. while asking OPEC to do more.
"All we're doing is sitting here on hope. We're not being able to get out there and prosper our families one bit. Biden says he's a big union man, well I've been a member of the 798 Pipeliners Union out in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for 21 years. He cut us down to nothing. We can't go on our pensions, on our insurance, this man doesn't have a clue what he's doing to the American people," Allen said.
This laid off Keystone pipeline worker went off on Biden for begging OPEC for oil after canceling the Keystone project. pic.twitter.com/6XFiJy7mV3
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) August 12, 2021
We had pipeline worker Bugsy Allen on @AmericaNewsroom. His shot went down when answering what he’d say to environmentalists - here’s his response “Get a pair of donkeys and a wagon. Rod and reel to fish. And a shotgun to hunt with. Because u will have no Groceries” @BillHemmer
— Dana Perino (@DanaPerino) August 12, 2021