The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that the Department of Energy's Office of Petroleum Reserves was selling one million barrels of gasoline from the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve — a total of 42 million gallons of fuel — over the summer months. The decision, according to the Energy Department, is "strategically timed and structured to maximize its impact on gasoline prices, helping to lower prices at the pump as Americans hit the road this summer," conveniently also the months leading up to November's election.
Much like Biden's actions draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) — created to insulate Americans from foreign crises and natural disasters — to its lowest level since the 1980s in an attempt to artificially lower prices, the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve (NGSR) was created after Hurricane Sandy disrupted supply chains and triggered gas shortages, not to help Democrats lower prices before contentious elections.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement accompanying her agency's announcement that the Biden administration "is laser focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families, especially as drivers hit the road for summer driving season," a claim contradicted by almost every energy policy enacted by the Biden administration. For those keeping track at home, average prices have increased 20 percent since Biden took office according to the latest inflation report.
Reiterating that the emergency reserves of gasoline were being released "strategically" (wink) from Memorial Day through the Fourth of July, Granholm said the Department of Energy is "ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most."
Surely it's just a coincidence that the release of emergency gasoline stockpiles — after Biden administration policies caused gas prices to hit their all-time high in June of 2022 and currently sit higher than they were one year ago — comes just before the final stretch of the 2024 campaign.
Further undermining the sincerity of Granholm and the Biden administration's stated commitment to "lowering prices," recall how the Energy secretary responded to questions about how she and Biden would increase oil production to lower costs. "That is hilarious!" she said through laughter at the pain felt by Americans at the pump. Watch:
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm laughs when asked about Biden's plans to bring gas prices down.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 5, 2021
"Ha ha ha. That is hilarious!" pic.twitter.com/0V0XCsVqDc