House Republicans intend to probe a supposedly “secret” deal between the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia to raise oil output in order to reduce gas costs prior to the midterm elections in 2022.
Rep. James Comer, the House Oversight Committee’s top Republican, addressed letters to the State Department, the Department of Energy, and the Securities and Exchange Commission requesting details regarding the agreement.
“It is the obligation of this Committee to investigate any backdoor agreements made by President Biden or his representatives. In his letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he stated, “The President favors foreign sources over domestic ones for purely political reasons.”
The letter stated, “The American people have a right to know if his administration is engaged in backdoor market manipulations with hostile nations while compromising our national security in order to secure more favorable electoral circumstances for Democrats.”
Rep. James Comer and House Republicans will probe a “secret” agreement between the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia to reduce gasoline costs prior to the November elections.
The Kentucky Republican, who is expected to become the committee’s chair when the GOP takes control of the House in the new year, stated in letters sent on Sunday that the president has “declared war on American-made energy” by shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline, placing a moratorium on oil and gas production on federal lands, and depleting the nation’s strategic oil reserves.
The Republicans referenced an October New York Times article claiming that the administration believed it had reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia to increase oil output before the president’s visit to the country this summer.
After the visit, which made headlines when Vice President Biden fist-bumped Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia and Russia pressured other OPEC+ members to reduce oil output by two million barrels per day in October.
The decision caused gas prices, which had been gradually down, to rise again prior to the November 8 election.
In reaction, the Biden administration stated that it would need to “re-evaluate” its relationship with Riyadh and even considered withdrawing military supplies.
Due to Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights violations and its participation in the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Biden administration was widely condemned for its talks with Saudi Arabia.
Comer stated that the Democrats, who currently control the White House and Congress, had “weaponized their unconstrained authority, fought a war against American energy production, and imposed Green New Deal ideas on the American people.”
When they win control of the House, he added, Republicans would demand answers from the administration regarding its energy policy.
Comer stated, “With the authority of the gavel, we will hold the Biden Administration accountable for foolishly assaulting a vital industry that produces inexpensive energy and well-paying jobs to the American people.”
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