Republicans love to criticize the Biden administration for the high price of gas these days, but when they had a chance on Monday to do something that might actually help reduce the cost of fuel, they blocked the measure instead of letting it move forward.
As David Badash of The New Civil Rights Movement notes, GOP hypocrisy on the subject of high gas prices is best exemplified by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), who has repeatedly complained about rising prices at the pump and suggested blame lies with President Joe Biden:
President Biden is setting all the wrong records. A gallon of gas in Washington State is now $4.87— a NEW record high. ⛽
It’s taking a devastating toll on the pocketbooks of families.
It’s well past time to unleash American energy production & get these prices under control.
— CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) May 10, 2022
And yet Rodgers opposed the Democratic bill to actually put an end to blatant price gouging by oil companies, saying such legislation is “socialist.”
Instead of unleashing American energy production, increasing supply, and lowering prices, Democrats are rushing through a bill to impose socialist price controls on gasoline.
The result will be long gas lines like in the 1970’s. pic.twitter.com/4BWnIGYTvJ
— CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) May 16, 2022
Republicans on the powerful House Rules Committee on Monday blocked the bill, H.R. 7688, the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act. from advancing. The GOP, thanks to McMorris Rodgers, is now calling the legislation the “Socialist Energy Price Fixing Act.”
CNN’s Manu Raju reports House Republican leadership Monday evening was urging its members to vote against the legislation if and when it comes to a vote on the full floor, which is still possible, although questionable.
As House Dems push a bill targeting oil companies on allegations of price gouging, GOP leaders send whip notice to members urging them to vote against it, calling it an “attempt to distract and shift blame” to energy producers
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 16, 2022
Of course, even if the bill does pass the House, it would face a Republican filibuster in the Senate, meaning that the GOP wants the issue of gas prices, but their solutions are nonexistent. That’s what happens when you feed at the trough of Big Oil and need to please your corporate masters.
Featured Image: Screenshot