The issue is creating a dammed-if-he-does, damned-if-he-doesn’t situation for Biden. Here’s why:
— If he does block Russian oil, skyrocketing gas prices will go even higher. On Wednesday, crude oil prices reached their highest level in more than a decade, which will further inflate the cost of gasoline, already averaging $3.60 a gallon nationally. While Russian oil and gas makes up a tiny fraction of U.S. energy supply, choking off its energy products will likely send prices soaring even more.
That’s the last thing Biden wants, as inflation is already dragging down his poll numbers. It’s why he used his State of the Union to announce that the U.S. and other countries would release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves. It’s why desperate Hill Democrats looking toward the midterms are floating the idea of a gas tax holiday.
— If he doesn’t block Russian oil and gas imports, Biden opens himself to allegations that he’s giving Putin precious breathing room. And the GOP is itching to pounce.
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