On Tuesday, after announcing a ban on oil imports from Russia, Democrat President Joe Biden claimed that “It’s simply not true that my administration or policies are holding back domestic energy production. That’s simply not true.”
He went on to blame the rise in Americans’ gas prices on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying: “The decision today is not without cost here at home. Putin’s war is already hurting American families at the gas pump. Since Putin began his military buildup on Ukrainian borders, just since then, the price at the gas pump in America went up 75 cents and with this action, it’s going to go up further.”
“These are the facts. We should be honest about the facts,” Biden later added.
A fact that should be noted is that gas prices began rising the month President Biden entered office, rising from $2.42 per gallon in January 2021 to $3.41 per gallon in January 2022 – a month before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since entering office, Biden has worked to reduce U.S. dependence on oil by issuing restrictions on domestic oil production.
The New York Times reported in February, “The Biden administration is indefinitely freezing decisions about new federal oil and gas drilling as part of a legal brawl with Republican-led states that could significantly impact President Biden’s plans to tackle climate change. … When he first took office, Mr. Biden suspended new federal oil and gas leases.”
