In the News

Rep. French Hill to Newsmax: Biden Must Not Negotiate With Dictators for Oil
by Sandy Fitzgerald
Newsmax
March 9, 2022

President Joe Biden was right to cut imports of Russian oil in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, as many in Congress have wanted him to do for several weeks, but "we don't need him negotiating with dictators in Venezuela or Iran and trying to import oil from them," Rep. French Hill said on Newsmax Wednesday.

"We need him to unleash resources here," the Arkansas Republican said on Newsmax's "National Report."

"Why are gas prices high today? Why is it over $5 a gallon here in the District of Columbia? The reason is, for 14 months, he's had a war on fossil fuels."

Biden, he continued, has delayed permits for new pipelines and made it tough to get financing for oil and gas by intimidating the nation's banks. 

"So that's what's happening, and that's why Americans are paying higher prices," said Hill. "If we want to help Europe and lower prices here in America, let's unleash American energy and produce more natural gas and oil here in this country. We can do 2 million barrels more per day, in my view, if he will help make that happen."

Hill also insisted that the United States can produce much cleaner gas and oil than is produced in Russia. 

"They emit about 40% less carbon emissions than anything that's produced in Russia, which is one of the dirtiest producers of oil and gas," said Hill. "We can do it cleanly, and we've reduced our carbon footprint over the years by producing natural gas in quantities that allow us to do natural gas power plants and not coal-based power plants."

Further, if Biden is serious about reducing emissions, he'd help expand clean nuclear energy that would work for "hundreds of years on an effective, low-cost, clean, carbon-free basis," said Hill.