Pete Buttigieg Says Gas Prices ‘Not Set by a Dial’ in the White House, Blames Oil Companies for High Costs
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg defended the Biden administration over high gas prices by saying the White House doesn’t have a “dial” to alleviate the costs Americans are facing because of the oil companies.
Buttigieg gave an interview to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, who noted how President Joe Biden authorized the U.S. to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve earlier this year in an attempt to address inflation. Stephanopoulos asked if that decision was “a failure” since it “hasn’t made any difference at all” in gas prices.
“I don’t think it’s correct to say it hasn’t made any difference,” Buttigieg said. “We know that the price of gasoline is not set by a dial in the Oval Office, and when an oil company is deciding, hour by hour, how much to charge you for a gallon of gas, they’re not calling the administration to ask what they should do, they’re doing it based on their goal on of maximizing their profits.”
As the country moves closer to the midterm elections, the Biden administration remains under enormous pressure over its struggling efforts to deal with a myriad of national economic issues. The Biden administration has attempted to shift blame for gas prices in recent months, and Buttigieg stood by that as he kept on going after oil companies for not increasing production.
“It’s been very striking right now to see these oil companies, who have become almost ridiculously profitable, and you hear these oil executives on the record talking about how they’re not going to increase production,” Buttigieg said.
“Why would they? They’re doing great right now, That’s why the president has called it a use it or lose it policy where, if you’re sitting on these thousands of permits and you’re not doing anything with them, then you’re going to be held accountable for them. So far, Congressional Republicans have blocked action to do something like that, but we think that’s another step that would make a difference.”
Watch above, via ABC
