Why does Joe Biden think dictators are better than Americans? Why send money to Iran instead of Oklahoma—or to Venezuela instead of Texas? If he wants to send money outside the United States, why not send money to Canada rather than Saudi Arabia?

Biden’s opposition to American oil and gas is killing jobs, weakening our national security, endangering our allies and restricting the United States’ foreign trade.

The price of oil has jumped from $53 a barrel when Donald Trump left office to $123 a barrel as I write this column. The correct American response would be to maximize the production of American oil and gas, so we can drive down the price of energy. By emphasizing American production, we would create jobs in the oil patch (which for natural gas includes Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and more traditional producing states). This could even include New York if the liberal politicians there did not ban fracking and thereby reduce the income of New York farmers and landowners.

Furthermore, the right strategy would include a massive increase in liquid natural gas production, so American gas could replace Russian gas in Western Europe. This would be good for European independence from Russian pressure and create American jobs. A decision to return to American energy independence would lower the price of gasoline, make the Ukraine war far more expensive for Russia, and bring relief to many millions of Americans.

The Biden team insists that its boycott of Russian oil is the only reason for the high cost of gasoline and heating oil. They expect us to ignore the degree to which they have crippled American energy production. The fact is the nuttier arm of Biden’s team would like to eliminate all oil and gas production. The left-wing fantasy of a gasoline-free future was recently captured by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg when he said:

Marie Antoinette said of hungry Parisians, “let them eat cake.” Now, the Biden administration says of cash-poor Americans, “let them buy an electric car.” Of course, the administration can’t say “buy a Tesla,” because Tesla is a non-union company. The Biden team feels loyalty toward the United Auto Workers—not the American people. Biden could only mention Ford and General Motors in his State of the Union, because none of the other American auto companies have UAW memberships (Dodge is owned by Stellantis, which is headquartered in the Netherlands).

The suggestion that working and retired Americans who are struggling to pay $4.50 a gallon (and even more in some places) should shell out tens of thousands of dollars for an electric car shows just how out of touch with reality the Biden team is. Furthermore, note that Buttigieg was not suggesting that Americans go out and buy a car tomorrow. He was suggesting that a $5 billion investment in an electric vehicle charging network (which will take years to build) was the answer to high-priced gasoline today.

The Biden team is blissfully ignoring our energy problems, not to mention Ukraine, Iran, rising crime, chaos at the border, unemployment, ballooning inflation—the list goes on. Unfortunately, for most Americans, the world Biden is creating is expensive and does not work.

As you watch the Biden administration fail, ask yourself: “why Venezuela and not Texas? Why Iran and not Canada? Just how unwilling are they to help America?”

Every time you go to the gas station, remember it is Biden’s policies—and not bad luck or Putin’s aggression—which is costing you so much to fill up your car.

Then ask your representatives in the House and Senate to override Biden’s insanity on energy and return us to an American energy policy.

For more of Newt’s commentary, visit Gingrich360.com.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.