Biden’s Plan: Replace Russian Oil With… Venezuelan Oil?

Joe Biden’s war on American energy left America vulnerable to massive price increases for gasoline, electricity, and natural gas. Now, as Russia escalates its invasion of Ukraine, Biden is funding Vladimir Putin’s war machine by purchasing Russian oil — but cutting off that supply may mean even higher prices for American families.

Now, instead of changing course and unleashing America’s domestic energy supply, the Biden-Harris administration is turning to America’s adversaries — and Putin’s allies — to help meet America’s energy needs. Biden-Harris administration officials met with cronies of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to discuss importing Venezuelan oil to U.S. refineries.

Wall Street Journal: The Biden administration is seeking to ease oil sanctions on Venezuela as part of a broader U.S. strategy to temper oil prices that have skyrocketed because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.

U.S. officials began rare face-to-face meetings with Venezuelan officials in Caracas over the weekend, with a view to allowing Venezuelan crude oil back on to the open international market, these people said. . .

The talks between the administration and the regime, though, carry political liabilities for Democrats, particularly in Florida, where a growing Venezuelan exile community in Miami is strongly opposed to softening the hard line on Mr. Maduro.

Experts and Republicans criticized Biden’s plan and raised doubts that Venezuelan oil would ease prices for consumers. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said Venezuelan oil would be “insignificant” and only boost the Maduro regime.

Biden Admin secret meeting with #Maduro was a huge PR boost for #MaduroRegime

And a demoralizing betrayal of those who have risked everything to oppose Maduro & weren’t even told this was happening

And for what?The amount of oil #Venezuela can produce right now is insignificant

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 7, 2022

Bottom Line: Instead of unleashing American energy, Joe Biden’s solution to the crisis is to swap one dictator’s oil for another’s.