Oil, gas Industry experts push back on Biden claims of booming industry amid record pump prices

U.S. oil and gas industry leaders are challenging President Biden's argument Wednesday that his lack of support for the county's fossil fuel industry has led to record-high gas prices. 

"I know my Republican friends claim we're not producing enough oil and that I'm limiting oil production. Quite frankly, that's nonsense," Biden said Wednesday at the White House in officially announcing he'll ask Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months to reduce the cost per of gasoline, as a temporary relief measure.

He also claimed that U.S. oil production so far this month is 12 million barrels a day, compared to 11 million per day during all four years of the Trump administration. 

"Thank God that Donald Trump had the foresight to get leases and permits approved or else Biden would have nothing to take credit for," U.S. Oil and Gas Association President Tim Stewart told Just The News.  

To be sure, industry leaders have for months argued that Biden triggered soaring gas prices on Day One on his administration when he cancelled the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline. He then argued as gas prices climbed to record highs this spring that Russia having invading Ukraine in mid February was largely to blame, disrupting energy output and distribution worldwide. 

As a prebuttal to Biden's announcement Wednesday, which he talked about days in advance, Chevron CEO Michael Wirth said the administration has "largely sought to criticize, and at times vilify, our industry."

He also said earlier this month: "I personally don't believe there will be a new petroleum refinery ever built in this country," said Wirth earlier this month.