Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., doesn't sugarcoat the serious potential consequences of Europe's gasoline shortage when pressed on the subject, or how Russian President Vladimir Putin might be weaponizing the output of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to exacerbate the dearth of oil across Europe.
"Clearly, [the Russians] hope to bring Western and Central Europe to its knees by withholding energy resources," Cassidy told Newsmax on Wednesday evening, while appearing on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren."
As grim as things are for Germany and other European nations now — particularly the ones that oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 — Cassidy says things could get significantly worse in the winter, as world leaders become more desperate to fill their citizens' driving and heating needs with oil and gas.
These other countries ''won't have the gas or oil they'll need to operate their economy — that's what the Russians are banking on, and that's what we have to prevent from happening," said Cassidy, who is in the early portion of his second term as a Louisiana senator.
Americans already know about the perils that come with decreased oil drilling under the Biden administration, Cassidy said.
The senator said that in Louisiana alone, a number of oil refineries and drilling companies are anxiously waiting for President Joe Biden to give the green light on more domestic production.
Instead, Cassidy says the White House keeps playing this game of promising action to the American people — regarding record-high gasoline prices — and then delaying oil-rig permits in the United States for two, three, and sometimes six months.
"Some of our rigs [in Louisiana] have had 'permit pending' [status] for four, six months," Cassidy said.
As a result, a grim reality could be coming for the U.S in the not-too-distant future, not unlike what's already happening in Europe, says Cassidy.
"Our country needs [domestic energy], and the [White House] is talking about sitting on [permits] for two, three more years," Cassidy said. "We need this administration to take seriously the high prices at the pump."
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