Headline RoundupJune 17th, 2022

Gas Rebate Cards? What the White House May Do About High Gas Prices

Summary from the AllSides News Team

As gas prices remain high and U.S. consumers stay frustrated, the White House is considering new responses.

Reports from the Washington Post and Fox News this week both cited anonymous White House officials who said that the administration is considering distributing gas rebate cards after initially ruling out the idea. It's unclear who would qualify for the potential rebate or how the cards would be limited to gas purchases only. Also this week, President Joe Biden sent a letter to U.S. oil companies calling on them to "take immediate actions" to increase supply and saying he's prepared to use "emergency authorities to increase refinery capacity and output in the near term."

The national average price of regular gasoline rose 10 cents last week to a record high of $5.01 per gallon. If adjusting for inflation historically, gas prices were at their highest in 2008 — today's average would need to hit $5.33 to surpass that point.

Coverage across the political spectrum highlighted Biden's letter to oil companies and the reports about potential rebate cards. Many on the right have consistently criticized Biden's stance on the U.S. oil industry; some now call him a hypocrite for encouraging production while also purportedly making it harder for refineries to produce oil and make money. Coverage from the left often focuses more on how global factors, like Russia's invasion of Ukraine and international oil markets, are affecting gas prices in the U.S. and around the world.

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