Republican lawmakers are calling for the United States to become energy independent as Russia continues its war efforts against Ukraine. Voicing their support for the Keystone Pipeline, lawmakers like Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) and Florida Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R) called for the pipeline to be used.
“A gallon of gas in Florida now costs over $4 for the first time since 2008, and Washington Democrats like Val Demings know they own the financial squeeze facing Americans,” said Rubio in a message to supporters.
Informing that “the U.S. is reliant on 595,000 barrels of oil a day from Russia,” Rubio expressed that “if the Keystone Pipeline were operational, we’d have 830,000 barrels produced every day right here in the United States, but Democrats blocked it in the name of climate change.”
Rep. Diaz Balart echoed in Rubio’s remarks, taking to social media to voice his support for the pipeline.
The Keystone XL pipeline would deliver an additional 830,000 barrels of crude oil to U.S. refineries every single day, a significant difference from the amount of crude oil we are currently importing from Russia. Not to mention, it would create thousands of jobs.
— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) March 7, 2022
“The Keystone XL pipeline would deliver an additional 830,000 barrels of crude oil to U.S. refineries every single day, a significant difference from the amount of crude oil we are currently importing from Russia,” said the Florida Republican, adding that the pipeline would also “create thousands of jobs.”
In an effort to lessen the United States’ dependence on Russia for oil, the Biden Administration is allegedly considering lifting Venezuelan sanctions, which has garnered criticism from Republicans.
Rubio, who’s directed criticism at Biden over rising gas prices and rising inflation, also argued that his Senatorial challenger is to blame.
“Elizabeth Gregory, the communications director for Marco Rubio for Senate, released a statement, commenting that “Val Demings is bending over backwards to cater to radical climate activists, refusing to support increasing American oil production that would shore up our oil supply, create American jobs, and decrease the cost of living for American families.”
Gregory further questioned “how can Floridians trust Demings will stand up for their interests in the U.S. Senate when she has failed to do so in the House of Representatives?”
