Congressional Democrats to Grill Oil Execs in Hearings on Gas Prices
A Democratic-controlled congressional committee will be summoning oil executives to grill them about their possible contribution to the high gas prices that have become a point of attack against President Joe Biden.
Although rising gas prices have been an issue for months, the rise has become much more acute since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and following Biden’s ban on Russian energy imports.
The White House has been consistent in putting the blame for the increases on factors like the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia/Ukraine situation, while Republicans and oil executives have blamed Biden’s policies.
According to a draft obtained by Politico Playbook, House Democrats are planning hearings that could help Biden make his case if things go their way. From Playbook:
SCOOP: DEMS TO HAUL BIG OIL TO THE HILL AMID GAS SURGE — As prices at the pump soar, House Democrats are readying a strategy to try to redirect the nation’s ire away from President JOE BIDEN and toward oil companies. This morning, House Natural Resources Chair RAÚL GRIJALVA (D-Ariz.) will call for the CEOs of EOG Resources, Devon Energy Corporation and Occidental Petroleum to testify April 5 at 1 p.m., according to a draft release shared with Playbook.
— The Democratic play: The panel plans to grill these three fossil fuel executives on recent suggestions that the Biden administration’s energy policies are at fault for rising prices. They’ll highlight these companies’ approved-but-unused existing drilling permits, as well as recent calls where executives have boasted about record profits.
President Biden and his staff have taken to citing a recent fact-checking article by The New York Times‘ Linda Qiu — entitled “Republicans Wrongly Blame Biden for Rising Gas Prices” — that examined a number of claims that Republicans have made about rising gas prices, including the notion that Biden’s policies are to blame. And White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has pushed back hard at those criticisms in contentious exchanges with reporters.
If they happen, the planned hearings could be equally contentious — and Republicans on the committee will have a chance to get their message out too.
