During an interview with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on ABC's This Week, host George Stephanopoulos played a clip from earlier this week in which Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) harshly criticized Biden's handling of energy issues.
"Biden would rather turn to dictators like those in Iran and those in Venezuela" to increase America's supply of oil "rather than turn against the climate elitists who dictate the energy policy of that Democratic Party," Barrasso said in the clip, which also showed him accusing Biden of "trying to pass the buck" by blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for high gas prices.
In response, Durbin said banning imports of Russian oil has had "some impact" on gas prices in the United States. Blaming Biden, though, is "completely wrong," Durbin said.
He added that, as war rages in Ukraine, the world is also "fighting and waging a war against climate change," and that Americans should "take both of these very seriously."
When Barrasso's turn to be interviewed came, Stephanopoulos asked him whether Durbin was wrong to say climate change must be taken seriously.
"Well, Joe Biden can't hide from the fact that he is the president of high gas prices," Barrasso answered. "And they're looking for anyone to blame, whether it's Putin, whether it's Republicans, whether it's the energy companies, whether it's COVID."
"The Democrats have a very big problem with 40-year-high inflation, highest gas prices ever," he continued. "When Joe Biden came into office, it was $2.38 a gallon for gasoline. Americans paid $1,000 more for energy last year than the year before. And on polling last week, 70 percent of Americans say more American oil and gas and less emphasis on climate."