The ostensibly “pro-Ukraine” Biden administration is doing everything they can to fund Russia’s war machine by refusing to sanction their oil and natural gas imports.
But why?
A bipartisan group of lawmakers from both both chambers of Congress are ready to take the boldest anti-Putin stance yet, but Biden and Biden alone is preventing that from happening.
The Biden administration has come up with a brilliant alternative solution: Keep importing Russian oil but allocate billions in taxpayer dollars to send directly to Ukraine, thus funding both sides of the conflict.
Are you finally paying attention yet?
Sens. Joe Manchin and Lisa Murkowski introduced the Ban Russian Energy Imports Act, which would prohibit importing crude oil, petroleum, and other energy products from Russia for the duration of the conflict. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Brian Fitzpatrick of the Problem Solvers Caucus will introduce companion legislation in the House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would support a ban on Russian oil imports earlier Thursday.
At a press conference, Manchin, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said, “We’re coming together out of support for Ukraine.”
Manchin has come out strong in support of banning Russian oil imports and resuming U.S. oil production to offset the cost Americans face at the pump.
It makes no sense at all for us to continue to import energy from foreign adversaries like Russia. The time for leasing pauses has come & gone. We MUST unleash our abundant natural resources to secure our energy independence, protect our allies & put an end to Putin's brutal war. pic.twitter.com/xgHn7YTUkL
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) March 3, 2022
However, Manchin’s solution would fly opposite to the Biden administration’s façade of caring about “green energy” and the “environment” insofar it would harm the billion-dollar investments already made toward oil-less fuel sources.
After all, the White House wants to see a return on their investment. No foreign war is going to stop that.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, another supporter of the bill, joked that Putin has done something no U.S. force has accomplished before: brought the Democrats and Republicans together.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during a bipartisan briefing on banning Russian oil: "So Nancy Pelosi is with us, which made me wonder, what am I doin'? She's right!"
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) in the back: "Putin brings everybody together." pic.twitter.com/r9tC0lzdjp
— The Recount (@therecount) March 3, 2022
But White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that Joe Biden’s objective “has been to maximize impact on President Putin and Russia while minimizing impact to us and our allies and partners.”
.@PressSec Jen Psaki: "We don't have a strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy, and that would raise prices at the gas pump for the American people, around the world, because it would reduce the supply available." https://t.co/2wadZ7DQci pic.twitter.com/HCXRKtadQa
— The Hill (@thehill) March 4, 2022
WATCH: Jen Psaki spends two minutes rejecting every common sense notion to expand U.S. energy production pic.twitter.com/dmPFxbK3Hj
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 3, 2022
How can one administration be so incredibly wrong about so many issues?
This issue, however, means Americans will be paying a war tax for a battle we’re not even fighting.
The lunacy continues…
Author: Elizabeth Tierney
