© Sipa USA
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a news briefing
WASHINGTON (77WABC) — White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre shot down calls to increase drilling of oil in the U.S. Thursday amid record gas prices — saying the country doesn’t need it.
Jean-Pierre made the comments in response to questions from Fox News white house correspondent Peter Doocy.
“Why not just drill more here in the U.S., though?” Doocy asked.
“Because we don’t need to do that,” Jean-Pierre responded. “What we need [oil companies] to do is, with the oil that’s out there, we need them to refine that oil so that the capacity can go up and that prices would go down.”
Jean-Pierre also argued that oil companies cut refinery capacity at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic and have yet to increase it to pre-pandemic levels. President Joe Biden argues that and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — is driving up gas prices.
