Virginia Republicans are taking a swipe at Democrats who blamed rising gas prices on price gouging this week.
House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn called on Governor Glenn Youngkin to issue an executive order declaring a state of emergency due to Russia’s continued, unprovoked war against Ukraine. In doing so, she said, the action would prompt activate the Virginia Post-Disaster Anti-Price Gouging Act and provide the Attorney General with powerful tools to protect Virginians from “unconscionable” prices at the pump.
“Governor Youngkin has the power to act and help protect Virginians at the pump, but so far, has failed to do so. Instead, he continues to point fingers and waste precious time,” said Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax), the former Speaker of the House of Delegates before Republicans took over the majority in January. “Virginians do not need talking points and failed campaign promises–we need leadership and action.”
Today, gas prices across the U.S. average $4.32 a gallon, a record high. According to AAA, in Virginia, drivers pay an average $4.24 a gallon.
However, Republicans say gas prices have increased since President Joe Biden took office. On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2021, Biden killed phase four of the Keystone Pipeline project from Canada to an existing pipeline connection in Nebraska, which would have shipped as many as 500,000 barrels per day.
Actions like these, and the refusal to produce domestic energy, say Virginia Republicans, helped drive up fuel prices and made the U.S. more dependent upon foreign sources of oil.
“Democrats have decided to blame “price gouging,” claiming that gas stations and oil companies have just gotten greedy. Unknown “bad actors” are at work,” said Speaker of the House of Delegates Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah County) Former Democratic Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn made the claims again during a floor speech Friday, pointing to higher gas prices that came after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
According to the chart Republicans shared from GasBuddy, the price of fuel increased only about a dollar since Biden was sworn into office. The cost of gas only dramatically jumped after Russia invaded Ukraine.
