Psaki Says Biden Will “Do Everything” on Gas Prices — Except Expand Domestic Energy Production; Blames Oil Companies for 9,000 Unused Leases

On 3/3/2022, Psaki said Biden would “do everything we can” to reduce gas prices but refused to consider expanding domestic energy production, instead blaming oil companies for not drilling on 9,000 approved leases. When a reporter pointed out the contradiction — less supply raises prices — Psaki dismissed the Keystone Pipeline as having “no relationship” to the problem and said the crisis was “a reminder of our need to reduce our reliance on oil.” She acknowledged the U.S. was still buying Russian oil but said it was “only about 10 percent” of imports.

”9,000 Approved Leases” Deflection

A reporter caught the logical contradiction in the administration’s position. “You just said that less supply raises prices. It’s not in our strategic interest to reduce the supply,” the reporter noted. “The President talked about increasing domestic manufacturing to bring down prices. So why not apply the same logic to energy and increase domestic production here?”

Psaki pivoted to her now-standard deflection. “There are 9,000 approved oil leases that the oil companies are not tapping into currently. So I would ask them that question,” she said.

“Is there nothing that the administration can do to get those providers back to pre-pandemic levels?” the reporter pressed.

“Do you think the oil companies don’t have enough money to drill on the places that have been pre-approved? Just asking,” Psaki said dismissively.

Keystone Has “No Relationship” to the Problem

When asked about the Keystone Pipeline, Psaki was blunt. “The Keystone Pipeline has never been operational. It would take years for that to have any impact,” she said. “That is a proposed solution that has no relationship or would have no impact on what the problem is.”

A reporter responded: “During those years where it would take to bring down prices, should we just continue to buy Russian oil?”

Psaki deflected to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve release and then pivoted to clean energy. “What this is all a reminder of in the President’s view is our need to reduce our reliance on oil,” she said. “If we do more to invest in clean energy, that’s exactly what we can do to prevent this from happening in the future."

"Only About 10 Percent”

A reporter asked directly: “As long as we’re buying Russian oil, aren’t we financing the war?”

“It’s only about 10 percent of what we’re importing,” Psaki said. “I’ve not made any announcement about any decision on that front.” She acknowledged no ban was forthcoming.

Republicans: “Stopped Offshore, Prevented New Leases”

A Republican catalogued the administration’s anti-energy record. “This administration has stopped offshore production, prevented new lease sales, prevented onshore production,” the lawmaker said. “This majority has tried to impose a $10,000 per year per mile pipeline fee, tried to raise royalty fees, increase severance taxes on domestic energy.”

He noted the SPR release was a drop in the bucket. “30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve — that wouldn’t fuel our country for even two days,” he said.

Border: “Secure” vs. “Root Causes”

A reporter noted a shift in Biden’s immigration language. “On Tuesday at the State of the Union, he said he wants to secure the border and fix the immigration system. That’s a bit of a shift from last year’s speech, where he spoke more about finding the root causes of why people are migrating,” the reporter said.

Psaki denied any change. “The bill that the President proposed on his first day in office included smarter security and border protections, and also included a more humane path for migrants,” she said. “Both of those remain priorities.”

Build Back Better Rebranded

A reporter asked whether the transformation from “Build Back Better” to “Building a Better America” was formalized. “That is formal,” Psaki confirmed. “But no one cares about the name in the American public. They care about what’s in it and what it’s going to do."

"A Range of Options”

When pressed on what specific steps the White House was considering beyond the SPR release — “direct subsidies, more biofuels, easing the Jones Act?” — Psaki would only say “a range of options remain on the table” without specifying any.

Key Takeaways

Psaki blamed oil companies for not drilling on 9,000 approved leases rather than acknowledging the administration’s own policies had discouraged production.
She dismissed the Keystone Pipeline as having “no relationship” to the gas price crisis and said the situation was a “reminder” to invest in clean energy.
The U.S. continued buying Russian oil — “only about 10 percent” of imports — with no ban announced despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A Republican noted the SPR release of 30 million barrels “wouldn’t fuel our country for even two days.”
Build Back Better was officially rebranded to “Building a Better America,” though Psaki said “no one cares about the name.”

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

There are 9,000 approved oil leases that the oil companies are not tapping into. Do you think oil companies don’t have enough money to drill?
The Keystone Pipeline has never been operational. It would take years. That is a proposed solution that has no relationship to the problem.
As long as we’re buying Russian oil, aren’t we financing the war? It’s only about 10 percent of what we’re importing.
This is a reminder of our need to reduce our reliance on oil. If we invest in clean energy, we can prevent this.
30 million barrels from the SPR — that wouldn’t fuel our country for even two days.
Build Back Better is now formally “Building a Better America.” But no one cares about the name.

Full transcript: 1218 words transcribed via Whisper AI.