Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) slammed President Donald Trump‘s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, accusing him of downplaying the effects of high gas prices.
$53 Billion In Excess Costs
“Americans have paid $53 billion more for gas and diesel” amid the Iran war, Klobuchar said in a post on Wednesday, but “Treasury Secretary Bessent just said inflation is a “blip,” she added.
“Not for families paying at the pump,” the Senator said, criticizing Bessent for comments he made in response to Sen. Maggie Hassan‘s (D-NH) questions about the rising costs. The Joint Economic Committee, of which Hassan is a member, said in a statement that Americans incurred $43 billion extra for gas since the war began.
“Except for inflation, which I believe is going to be a short-term blip, the economic data is very strong,” Bessent said in response to the questions.
Democrats Decry High Gas Prices
Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly criticized Trump as gas prices continue to hover above the $4 mark in multiple states, with Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) calling Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright a “big oil shill” after the latter acknowledged that gas prices were high.
Newsom’s administration had earlier defended against rising gas prices in California as reports emerged of the state increasing the excise tax on a gallon of gas to $0.634.
Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) accused Trump of helping oil companies with relaxed emissions norms despite a rise in global temperatures. He also slammed the President for calling the Climate Crisis a “hoax.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) also criticized Trump, accusing the President of helping oil executives amass wealth since the war in Iran began and that Americans spent $800 million extra every day on gas.
Iran War, Gas Prices
Trump faced bipartisan opposition to continued U.S. military involvement in Iran, after a House of Representatives vote (215-208) in favor of a war powers resolution appeared to gain momentum. The resolution is aimed at limiting Trump’s powers over military action.
On the other hand, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire contingent on the cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of its operatives from southern Lebanon. The agreement could boost chances for a ceasefire deal with Iran.
Gas prices further fell as the national average price for a gallon on Thursday was $4.241, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Prices in California also fell below the $6/gallon mark following weeks of high costs, with the average price in the state at $5.976/gallon.
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