Written by Virginia Kruta, columnist at The Daily Wire
Biden has claimed several times in recent days that the American people will feel the cost of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That cost, he said, was likely to come in the form of increasing fuel prices.
And while the situation in Russia would likely cause gas prices to rise regardless, there are a number of steps Biden could have taken — and could still take — to blunt some of the impact, it appears the administration plans to take the easy way out and simply blame Russia. So, what could the Biden administration do? They could undo the counterproductive policies that had gas prices on the rise long before Putin started posturing along Ukraine’s border.
For example, they could restart work on the Keystone XL pipeline. In addition to almost instantly adding thousands of good-paying jobs to the economy, it would open the door for future energy production that does not depend entirely on foreign sources. Biden could also reinstate and expand permits for natural gas production in the United States, returning the nation to our pre-Biden status as a net exporter of energy. Both of these moves would not only benefit the United States with regard to lowering energy costs. They could also bring more money in from foreign sources, especially in the event that President Putin attempted to control eastern European nations by cutting off their energy supply — much of which currently comes from Russia. A United States that was not only energy-independent but able to assist other nations in getting out from under Putin’s thumb is not just in the national interest — it’s in the global interest.