Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., on Thursday pushed for the Biden administration to invoke emergency use of the Defense Production Act to boost U.S. oil production as Americans are paying near-record highs for gas amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Manchin, at a hearing of the Senate Energy Committee, said the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline was "the quickest thing that we can get, it's more energy into the market that's going to be needed."
"I've been preaching to the heavens for a long time on this one. It can be done with the Defense Production Act," he added.
Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order banning the import of Russian oil and natural gas in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine, even though the move is expected to drive up U.S. energy prices.
"This is a step that we're taking to inflict further pain on Putin," Biden said at the White House. "But there will be costs as well here in the United States."
About 8 percent of U.S. imports of oil and refined products, or about 672,000 barrels a day, came from Russia last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
"What we do know is that Russia has weaponized energy," Manchin said. "They have used it as a geopolitical weapon. The thing I know about an adversary, or a bully is if they have a weapon, you better have one that will match it or be better than theirs. And we do, we just haven't used it."
Biden used the Defense Production Act recently for coronavirus response measures to produce everything from ventilators to COVID-19 vaccines.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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