Biden interior secretary won't say if gas prices are 'too high' when asked by Republican senator
US Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland refused to say gas prices are 'too high' when pressed by Sen. John Barrasso
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U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland refused to say if gas prices were "too high" during a hearing on Thursday when asked by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
Barrasso pressed her on the question repeatedly.
"Do you believe that gas prices are too high?," Barrasso asked Haaland.
"I completely understand the crunch that so many Americans are under right now," she said. "I mean, I’m thinking back. I’ve been driving since I was about 18, so it’s, I know that we’ve had other — you know, I remember back when there were lines back out the gas stations and that kind of thing."
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These are the the gas prices at a pump at a Sheetz store in Sewickley, Pa., Monday, March 7, 2022. (AP Newsroom)
"I think that Americans are still recovering from this terrible pandemic and there are a lot of other world events making things difficult for all of us," Haaland added.
Barrasso noted that Haaland didn't directly answer the question, and asked what the department is doing to address "this terrible pain that Americans are suffering under these high gas prices."
Still, Haaland didn't answer the question, and said "We’re doing all we can."
"We’re doing all we can, senator. As we’ve mentioned several times today, production on Federal lands is up," Haaland said. "But the production is also up. It’s at an all-time high, more than a billion barrels."
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Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, speaks during a news conference on July 22, 2021, in Denver. The U.S. Interior Department says, Monday, Nov. 15. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File / AP Newsroom)
Barrasso took to Twitter after the exchange and said that Haaland "refused to admit gas prices are too high."
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"President Biden’s Interior Secretary refused to admit gas prices are too high. This administration is in denial. It’s been ten straight days of record-high gas prices for Americans," Barasso said.