Sen. Joe Manchin let loose on President Joe Biden on Friday in a very uncharacteristic way, given they are both members of the same party.
Specifically, the West Virginia moderate is taking the president to task anew amid wildly spiking gas and diesel fuel prices.
Manchin was speaking at a hearing of the Senate Energy Committee on the Department of the Interior’s budget request for fiscal year 2023 when he shredded the administration for enriching our nation’s enemies, The Daily Wire reported.
“We are holding this hearing during trying times,” he said. “Putin’s horrific invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s weaponization of oil and gas, increasing energy and food prices worldwide, and the growing challenge of competition with China. Given the current global situation, it is essential for the United States to step up to the plate as the superpower of the world.”
“That includes the responsible development of our abundant energy and mineral resources. Unfortunately, even as we see Russia wage a war enabled by energy insecurity in Europe, this administration has made its opposition to domestic oil and gas production crystal clear – on and off Federal lands and waters,” he said.
“My frustration is at an all-time high that we are talking to OPEC, Iran, and Venezuela to increase oil output while we are at the same time blocking increased energy production at home,” the senator said.
“What does it say to producers here in the United States when we consider working with the Venezuelan government, which certainly doesn’t share our values, instead of supporting domestic or North American production? Is this really in our best interest?” he added.
Gas prices have tripled in many parts of the country, along with diesel prices, since former President Donald Trump left office in January 2021. Worse, analysts are predicting even higher prices over the summer, which will continue driving inflation across the economy.
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