EC Georgia News

Georgia's gas prices, now averaging about $4.29 per gallon, have surpassed the previous record set in 2008 as President Joe Biden's administration's "Putin's gas hike" and "#PutinPriceHike" narrative is being challenged.

The average price for gas in Georgia, as of March 17, was $4.241 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA) website. That AAA average is calculated based on the highest price Georgians are paying for gas, $4.44, and the lowest, $4.02, depending on where they purchase gas.

Georgia's average is slightly less than the national average of $4.30 per gallon, according to AAA.

Recent surges in gas prices across the United States have caused concern for many citizens. | Photo by Yassine Khalfalli on Unsplash

U.S. House Rep. Jody Hice, who represents Georgia's 10th congressional district, recently warned that the state was headed toward record-setting territory.

"Gas prices in Georgia are approaching their all-time high," Hice said in in a tweet March 7.  "You can blame Joe Biden for this one, folks."

Statista reported in February that inflation in the U.S. has steadily increased since Biden took office in January 2021. That month, the rate of inflation was 1.4%, compared to 7.5% in January 2022.

Gas prices are rising at historic rates, according to YCharts. A recent report found the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. about a year ago was $2.94, rising to $3.53 at the beginning of February. The price was $3.70 Feb. 28, four days after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Early in his presidency, Biden signed a series of executive orders to prioritize climate change and stopped new oil and natural gas leases in the nation's public lands and waters, CNBC reported.

"The cause-and-effect seems pretty plain to me, but it must not [be] for our president," said Rep. Dan Newhouse, of Washington, in a statement. "Let me spell it out: By effectively shutting down our own supply of critical oil and gas, the Biden administration increased our reliance on foreign countries for our energy needs, increased global emissions, and increased gas prices for American families."

Biden recently announced on Twitter, an immediate ban on all imports of Russian oil, gas, and energy, claiming "strong bipartisan support" for that action.

"Russian oil will no longer be accepted at U.S. ports - and the American people will deal another powerful blow against Putin’s war machine," Biden said in a March 8 Twitter post.

White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield tweeted March 9 that the higher energy costs were "#PutinPriceHike in action" and said the president "is going to use every tool at his disposal to shield Americans from pain at the pump." The hash tag has become popular in recent days among Democrats.

Several news outlets have questioned who is truly to blame however, for the increase in gas prices.

The Hill claimed in a March 13 report that the Biden administration "is 'gaslighting' on gas prices with #PutinPriceHike."

The American Enterprise Institute recently reported that the surge in prices is not the result of a 'Putin price hike'' but, instead, the byproduct of "the 'Biden weakness tax'."

The Wall Street Journal also reported that oil prices have been on the rise for months, thanks in large part to the world's economic rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. The journal also reported that petroleum producers still haven't reached pre-pandemic oil production and that the U.S. imported about 8% of its crude oil and refined products from Russia in 2021.