The White House ruled out banning imports from Russia despite calls from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier in the day as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his assault on Ukraine.
Ms Pelosi told reporters on Thursday that she would support banning oil imports from Russia when she was asked about rising gas prices and whether she would support drilling for oil on public lands.
“I'm all for that. Ban it. Ban the oil coming from Russia,” she told reporters as concerns rise about rising gas prices in response to the crisis in Ukraine.
But White House press secretary Jen Psaki ruled out such a measure, saying that President Joe Biden’s objective is to maximise pain on Mr Putin’s regime while minimizing the effects of the conflict to Americans.
“We don’t have a strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy,” she said. “And that would raise prices at the gas pump for the American people around the world because it would reduce the supply available. It’s as simple as less supply raises prices.”
Democrats are trying to stave off concerns that the assault on Ukraine would lead to higher gas prices. In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden mentioned that the US would release 30 million barrels from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserves.
“These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home,” he said at the time. “But I know news about what’s happening can seem alarming to all Americans. But I want you to know: We’re going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.”
Ms Pelosi said that the price of gas is directly related to the crisis in Ukraine.
“Doesn’t mean it can’t go up and down without a Russian diabolical intervention into a sovereign country but it is related to that,” she said. Ms Pelosi said she heard a parliamentarian from Ukraine saying the country was under assault while people elsewhere are complaining about the price of gas.
“Well, we don’t want people to pay a little bit more for the price of gas,” she said.
Many Americans were already feeling a pinch at the gas pump beforehand and some have hinted at a gas tax holiday. But Ms Pelosi said it was not clear that would lower prices for consumers.
“And that sounds good, but do you know that guarantee that the oil companies pass that reduction onto the consumer and it’s very hard to write a bill that requires them to pass it on to the consumer,” she said.
“So I think if we can have a holiday that guarantees that the consumer benefits rather than more profits for the oil companies, that can be a path that we can take,” she said.
Some in Congress have said that the crisis in Ukraine emphasises the need for the United States to become energy independent. Sen Joe Manchin, the conservative Democrat from West Virginia and chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said as much and held a hearing on Thursday about the subject.
“To put up barriers to natural gas projects and the benefits they provide while Putin is actively & effectively weaponizing energy against our allies is absurd,” he said. “We need to instead increase access & strengthen our ability to use energy to fight for our values & support our partners.”
