Energy

Senator: Obama ‘fully responsible’ for high gas prices [VIDEO]

Nicholas Ballasy Senior Video Reporter
Font Size:

As the national average price of gasoline rises above $3.80 per gallon, Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso is claiming that President Obama is “fully responsible” for the price at the pump due to his administration’s lack of an energy policy.

“With the Keystone pipeline, 20,000 jobs, lots of money coming in to investment, putting people to work, and more energy coming into the United States — and yet not only did 11 Democrats cross the aisle, but the president actually lobbied against the Keystone pipeline, lobbied the Senate against the pipeline to the point that he had to stop Democrats who may have wanted to vote for it,” Barrasso said alongside Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, at the Capitol Tuesday.

“The president has been a complete obstructionist on that, and his energy policy, if you want to even call it a policy, has in my opinion actually contributed if not caused the pain at the pump, and he should be held fully responsible for what the American public is paying for gasoline.”

President Obama was reportedly lobbying Democrats against a measure that would have green lighted the pipeline project. (SEE ALSO: Obama lobbying against Keystone pipeline)

Former President Bill Clinton has said the U.S. should “embrace” the project, which is detested by many environmentalist groups. His wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, would need to sign off on the project.

Follow Nicholas on Twitter