On Tuesday morning, President Joe Biden announced a ban on the import of Russian oil to the United States. He then boarded Air Force One for a trip to Texas.
"The President and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs will visit the Fort Worth VA Clinic to speak with VA health care providers about addressing the health effects of environmental exposures such as burn pits and receive a briefing on primary care and specialty health services for veterans. They will also speak with veterans and patient advocates about different challenges facing the community," the White House released about the trip.
But as gas prices skyrocket, Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw is noticing something absent from Biden's trip to the Lone Star State.
Joe Biden is in Texas today, and yet he won’t be meeting with energy producers to find out what’s needed to increase production, reduce prices, and reduce dependence on foreign oil.
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) March 8, 2022
This White House would rather meet with Venezuela and Iran instead.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal is calling out the White House's claim that domestic energy production won't solve the gas price problem quickly enough.
"Shale producers can increase production twice as fast as Venezuelan oil companies, and the profits would go to U.S. workers and shareholders rather than another dictatorship," the Editorial Board argues.
Over the past week, the Biden administration has entertained the idea of importing oil from Iran and Venezuela to fill the gap left by a ban on Russian imports. Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defended the move.
Jen Psaki defends the prospect of buying oil from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Iran. pic.twitter.com/WrOEtP46Wj
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 7, 2022