BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Gas prices hit an all-time high overnight, with California leading the way as consistently the most expensive.
The record high cost comes after President Joe Biden announced a move to ban all Russian oil, dealing the most significant blow yet to the country’s economy amid its invasion of Ukraine.
When asked about the soaring gas prices, the President said Russia was responsible.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) disagrees.
“These aren’t Putin prices,” McCarthy said. “These are President Biden’s prices.”
Addressing reporters Wednesday morning, McCarthy reiterated what he has been pushing for months, President Biden is to blame skyrocketing gas prices.
“President Biden keeps breaking records. But unfortunately, the records are breaking America’s budget,” he said.
The House Minority Leader said he supports the President’s move to ban oil, gas and coal from Russia, but with a caveat.
“You cannot just shut off Russian gas and not produce in America,” he said.
McCarthy said the move only highlights the need to ramp up production in the United States.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Gov. Gavin Newsom stood in Sacramento and pledged to continue cracking down on oil production within state lines.
“One thing we cannot do is repeat the mistakes of the past by embracing polluters, drilling even more oil,” Newsom said during his State of the State Address.
That gave McCarthy the opening to shift away from Biden and toward a new energy adversary at home.
“Since Gavin Newsom has taken over, he has reduced the production of energy in California by more than 20%,” McCarthy said. “On his executive orders he has shut down permitting. He has shut down going into the wells themselves.”
McCarthy was asked what he thought about the idea governors have raised to issue rebates to ease the pain at the pump. Newsom mentioned during his speech Tuesday night he is working on a plan to do just that. McCarthy said it was smart but not enough.
