President Joe Biden was on the receiving end of heated criticism from within his own party when progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar called him out over the latest report on meeting the oil crisis in the U.S.
The Minnesota Democrat blasted the administration amid reports that, in the face of the ongoing war in Ukraine and with skyrocketing fuel costs, the White House may be looking to secure a deal with Saudi Arabia to pump more oil.
While the administration has yet to make a final decision on banning oil from Russia in the wake of its invasion of its Eastern European neighbor, and with no plans to restart the Keystone XL pipeline, an unconfirmed report that Biden’s senior advisers could be planning a trip to Saudi Arabia in an attempt to increase oil exports sparked anger.
“Our response to Putin’s immoral war shouldn’t be to strengthen our relationship with the Saudis who are currently causing the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet in Yemen,” Omar tweeted.
Our response to Putin’s immoral war shouldn’t be to strengthen our relationship with the Saudis who are currently causing the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet in Yemen.
Yemenis might not matter to some geopolitically but their humanity should. This is wildly immoral act. https://t.co/xv3aHzcFht
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 7, 2022
“Yemenis might not matter to some geopolitically but their humanity should. This is wildly immoral act,” she added, referring to the Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in the Yemeni civil war in 2015 to respond to the rebel Houthi group which was labeled a terrorist organization until last year when Biden lifted the designation.
You know we are f****d when she even agrees this is immoral.
— WickedlyWrite (@WickedlyWrite) March 7, 2022
Omar knows how to bitch. Not much else. Venezuela is a human rights disaster area and Iran us the worlds biggest terrorism sponsor. She’d rather we deal with them. What a dilettante. It’ll take far too long to extract US oil to replace Russian oil.
— Peter McKenna (@petemckenna38) March 8, 2022
Though the report of a potential trip to Saudi Arabia has not been confirmed by the White House, U.S. officials reportedly traveled to Venezuela to discuss oil exports and reporters confronted press secretary Jen Psaki about the moves.
Reporter to Jen Psaki: “Administration officials are meeting with foreign counterparts in Venezuela. You’ve talked to Iran and the Saudis. Is the supply of oil so important that it’s acceptable to cut deals with countries that may have engaged in unsavory actions in the past?” pic.twitter.com/eFQlGx6hpp
— The Hill (@thehill) March 8, 2022
Brett McGurk, coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, and Amos Hochstein, a State Department special envoy for energy affairs, reportedly went to Saudi Arabia last month.
“[They] went to Saudi Arabia to discuss a range of issues, including the war in Yemen, including security in the region and certainly including energy security,” Psaki said. “They had the discussion, it’s in everyone’s interest to reduce the impact on the global oil marketplace.”
U.S. Sen, Ted Cruz blasted the news in a tweet calling out the administration’s dismal foreign policies.
“The Biden administration is very, very slowly discovering that alienating allies and boosting enemies is not a great way to conduct foreign policy,” the Texas Republican tweeted. “All it took were several generational global catastrophes and wars abroad, and 1970s inflation and gas prices at home.”
The Biden administration is very, very slowly discovering that alienating allies and boosting enemies is not a great way to conduct foreign policy.
All it took were several generational global catastrophes and wars abroad, and 1970s inflation and gas prices at home. https://t.co/tljIr6ksrV
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 7, 2022
He also agreed it was “insanity” in responding to a tweet from Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume who wrote: “Oh great. Let’s continue to restrict our own oil production and then go to Saudi Arabia to beg them to produce more.”
insanity https://t.co/bZyiJaZaDz
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 7, 2022
Many on both sides of the political aisle on social media agreed.
America can easily replace #PutinOil by producing more of our own
Instead the Biden plan is to beg Saudi Arabia to produce more,buy more from a narco terrorist #MaduroRegime in #Venezuela & cut a deal with the worlds leading state sponsor of terror in #Iran
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 7, 2022
Biden’s team would rather fly to Saudi Arabia, a country with whom we have a dicey relationship, to pump more oil rather than produce more energy right here at home. Everything this administration does is just so backwards. https://t.co/MWxtxmQx7I
— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) March 7, 2022
Biden and his team of green new scam virtue signalers aren’t against oil, they’re just against American oil. They’re fine with Russian, Venezuelan, Saudi and Iranian oil (especially Climate Czar John Kerry, who needs fuel for his private jet), just not U.S. oil. Explains a lot.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 7, 2022
So we need more oil. Our options are make more ourselves, give money to Russia, give money to Iran, give money to Venezuela, or give money to Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration is rejecting make more ourselves and attempting to give it to all the other countries.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 7, 2022
Why won’t Biden allow AMERICAN oil & gas workers to do their jobs? He’s planning a trip to Saudi Arabia to BEG them to pump more. He’s already PLEADING the illegitimate Maduro regime to do the same. American ENERGY DOMINANCE is the only solution. LET US DRILL NOW!!
— Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) March 8, 2022
Horrible move. Saudi Arabia commits war crimes and is run by a murderer who partners with the same mafia and Kremlin operations that unleashed violence on Ukraine. Abandon all dictators and their blood money oil. https://t.co/PUyuWE1nni
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) March 7, 2022
Hey, I know, let’s pay a visit to the Saudis as they bomb Yemen, to convince them to pump more Saudi oil, so we can rely less on Russian oil, as the Russians bomb Ukraine! Genius!! https://t.co/ltlkCFllGe
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) March 6, 2022
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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