![U.S. Labor Sec. Marty Walsh said Friday that President Joe Biden is responsible for decreasing gas prices but does not bear responsibility when gas prices rise. [Screenshot CNN]](https://images.dailycaller.com/image/width=960,height=411,fit=cover,f=auto/https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-07-at-11.13.29-AM-e1665156658198.png "U.S. Labor Sec. Marty Walsh said Friday that President Joe Biden is responsible for decreasing gas prices but does not bear responsibility when gas prices rise. [Screenshot CNN]")
U.S. Labor Sec. Marty Walsh said Friday that President Joe Biden is responsible for decreasing gas prices but does not bear responsibility when they rise.
Speaking on CNN, Walsh laid the blame of higher gas prices on Russia and OPEC+.
“Well certainly when it comes to energy and what we’re dealing with gas, I mean, that certainly was not created by this administration. We’re dealing with a war in Ukraine that you guys report upon every day, which is very sad, unfortunate. We’re talking about decisions OPEC has made, which is very disappointing as well. And I think what it does is for too long America has been too dependent on foreign energy and I think that the President has made it very clear in the Inflation Reduction Act to be less dependent on foreign energy supplies, whether it is oil or gas, as we move forward here.”
“For 13 weeks straight we saw a reduction because of President Biden’s policies and decisions, we saw gas prices coming down. You clearly – OPEC caught the administration by surprise in the decision they made yesterday so we’re readjusting now to deal with the decisions they’ve made.” (RELATED: Jean-Pierre Fumbles Trying To Explain What Biden Is Doing To Lower Gas Prices)
OPEC+, which includes 15 OPEC members and the consortium’s Russian-led allies, voted Wednesday to slash oil production by two million barrels per day despite pleas from the White House to pump more oil. Gas prices are expected to rise accordingly.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy questioned White House press sec. Karine Jean-Pierre recently about whether Biden shoulders any blame for rising gas prices, since the president took a victory lap when prices began to slightly drop.
“Is the president responsible for gas prices going up?” Doocy asked.
“So, it’s a lot more nuanced than that, right Peter? You know this,” Jean-Pierre responded “There have been global challenges that we have all dealt with, ‘all’ meaning other countries as well have since the pandemic. There’s been a pandemic and there has been Putin’s war and Putin’s war has increased prices at the pump.”
Jean-Pierre then lauded Biden for releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and touted the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act before crediting Biden for successfully bringing down gas prices over the summer.