The Republican National Committee held three voter registration drives at Arizona gas stations over the weekend. They plan to hold more due to the recent rise in gas prices in order to mobilize voters in the next midterm elections.
Current gas prices are around $4.25 per gallon on average across the U.S.This is a 20% increase in prices from a month ago, and more than $1.30 per gallon higher than last year. Although conservatives have blamed the Biden administration largely for the rises, experts say that the costs of gasoline are outside of the president’s purview.
Officials with the GOP claim that they will continue to register voters at gas pumps in spite of this.
“There’s no doubt that everyone is feeling the pain at the pump, so a gas station right now may be the very best possible place for one of our volunteers to have a conversation with someone and get someone signed up to vote,” said Ben PetersenIn an interview with The Arizona RNC Communications Director, he said: The Hill.
Recent polls found that 30 percent of Americans blame President Joe Biden for higher prices at the pump60% of Republican respondents said that Biden was to blame for the higher prices.
Ronna McDaniel (RNC chair) welcomed the idea of registering voters at gasoline stations. using the hashtagFollow #BidenGasHike Twitter Supporters suggested that they should expand the idea. McDaniel responded by saying that they are “doing this across the country.”
Republicans claim that Biden’s decision to The Keystone XL pipeline must be shut downPrices at the pump have risen due to environmental changes and other moves. In reality, however, the closing the pipeline had no effect on prices and the Biden administration has maintained oil production at the same levels it did during the Trump administration.
In 2020 — the last full year of Trump’s presidency — the U.S. was producing 11.3 million barrels of oil per day on average. The country produced approximately 1.2 million tonnes of oil in 2021. nearly the same amountThe U.S. is projected to surpass that rate in 2022, producing 12,000,000 barrels of oil per hour.
In fact, to the detriment of the environment, the Biden White House has also opened up more areas for drilling — In its first year, the administration approved 333 drilling permits per Month, a rate that is higher than three of the four years of Trump’s presidency.
Other than Biden placing sanctions on Russian oilThe president has not had much to do with the rise in prices. The oil and gas companies want high prices, so they keep them high. Progressive lawmakers have spoken outWe note that although oil prices have fallen from their recent highs of $1,200 per barrel, gas prices have remained stubbornly elevated.
“Big oil CEOs need to be held accountable for profiteering, this can’t stand,” wrote Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) on Twitter last Monday.
“Oil companies are “profiteering,” chimed in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York). “And there should be consequences for it.”
Biden condemned last week the rise in gas prices by oil companies.
“Oil prices are decreasing, gas prices should too. … Oil and gas companies shouldn’t pad their profits at the expense of hardworking Americans,” Biden said.
