White House press secretary Jen Psaki squared off with her regular sparring partner, Fox News’s Peter Doocy, on Monday as she sought to defend the Biden administration’s response to the increase in domestic gas prices, which spiked this week to their highest point since 2008.
Biden’s message is that he’s “going to do everything we can, everything he can, to reduce the impact on the American people, including the price of gas at the tank,” Psaki said at the start of Monday’s briefing, noting that the White House agreed last week on the “historic” release of 30 million barrels of oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve in coordination with 30 allied countries and the International Energy Agency.
But she was pressed further about the price hike by Doocy, who noted that consumers were already seeing high gas prices prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, due in large part to increased demand and inflation in the United States.
“The increase and the anticipated continued increase” in prices “is a direct result of the invasion of Ukraine. And [also] in anticipation” of the invasion,” Psaki said. “That was factored in as gas prices have gone up.”
“[Clearly], we will continue to have conversations with large oil producers and suppliers around the world about how to mitigate the impact and consider domestic options as well,” Psaki added.
Psaki told Doocy that any questions about supply constraints should be directed to oil companies, which she said are producing less oil than is allowed under federal law.
“There are 9,000 unused approved drilling permits” in the U.S., she said. “So, I would suggest you ask the oil companies why they’re not using those if there’s a desire to drill more.”
The exchange comes as U.S. gasoline prices broke the $4-per-gallon mark Sunday for the first time since July 2008, rising to an average of $4.009 a gallon, a 47-cent spike since before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. A total of 18 states, including Washington, D.C., are now seeing average prices of $4 or greater, according to AAA estimates.
Psaki also was grilled over the administration’s outreach to Venezuela, following news that a group of senior officials traveled there this weekend to discuss the possibility of resuming oil imports.
Asked about the trip on Monday, Psaki said it would be “leaping several stages ahead” to suggest the U.S. is considering resuming business with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
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“There was a discussion that was had by members of the administration over the course of the last several days,” Psaki said. “Those discussions are also ongoing. And part of our focus is also on the health and welfare of detained U.S. citizens. While a separate process, still, that is part of our engagement with them. So, at this point in time, I don’t have anything to predict. It’s ongoing.”
