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Top official laughs nervously when GOP senator confronts him with Biden's own words on oil and gas: 'Which was the lie?'
Image source: YouTube screenshot

Top official laughs nervously when GOP senator confronts him with Biden's own words on oil and gas: 'Which was the lie?'

Republican Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.) stumped a top Interior Department official on Tuesday over President Joe Biden's contradictory statements on oil and gas.

What is the background?

Biden's position on drilling for oil and gas shifts with the political winds.

When he was campaigning for president, Biden promoted a progressive stance against fossil fuels. But when gas reached record-high prices earlier this year, Biden advocated for more drilling to ease consumers' financial pain. However, when campaigning for Democrats ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Biden once again demonized oil and promised "no more drilling."

What did Barrasso ask?

At a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Barrasso grilled Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau over Biden's contradictory statements using the president's own words.

First, Barrasso invoked Biden's remarks from June when he claimed, "Republicans falsely claim that I’m blocking production on federal lands. But again, that’s nonsense." Then Barrasso pointed to a declaration that Biden made in November when he promised, "No more drilling … there is no more drilling."

"When was he lying? Which was the lie? Because clearly the president is lying. Which one?" Barrasso asked.

At first, Beaudreau, the No. 2 official at the Interior Department, defended Biden.

"Senator, I think, as you know, production on public lands both onshore and offshore has not stopped. In fact, in this administration, production levels ... has [sic] increased on public lands to over a billion barrels a year," he responded. "So there has been no attempt by the administration to block or stop or impede production on public lands."

But Barrasso was undeterred, and his follow-up question left Beaudreau laughing nervously.

"Then the president is lying when he says 'no more drilling, there is no more drilling.' That’s a direct lie into the camera, to the American people by the president of the United States?" Barrasso pushed.

"So I don’t, you know, I can’t comment on a quote sort of out of context," Beaudreau responded before contradicting Biden.

"Clearly there is ongoing drilling on public lands as well as production," he said.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Hearing on the Infrastructure Law and Interior Departmentyoutu.be

While gas prices in the U.S. have moderated, Biden faced renewed criticism last month when his administration agreed to ease sanctions on Venezuela and grant Chevron a license to pump oil in the South American nation.

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