Joe Manchin tears into the 'hypocritical' White House for buying 500,000 Russian oil barrels a day


Joe Manchin tears into the ‘hypocritical’ White House for buying 500,000 Russian oil barrels a day while Putin is using ‘energy bombs’ and urges US to ramp up domestic production

  • The West Virginia Democrat called it ‘hypocritical’ to import Russian oil following its invasion of Ukraine
  • He said Russian President Putin is using energy as a ‘weapon’
  • Other sanctions are cutting off Russian banks from the global financial system
  • The U.S. imports Russian oil to US refineries despite being world’s top oil exporter 
  • Manchin has long argued for extracting energy from his own state 
  • White House says the market determines ‘where it acquires crude or refined products’ but wouldn’t rule out action


West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is demanding the Biden administration take even tougher actions to punish Russia by banning the importation of its oil amid its invasion of Ukraine

Manchin, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said it was hypocritical to ask other countries to do ‘what we can do for ourselves’ – and demanded the administration halt the imports, which he noted exceed 500,000 barrels a day of oil and other petroleum products. 

‘To continue to ask other countries to do what we can do for ourselves in a cleaner way is hypocritical. To continue to rely on Russian energy as they attack Ukraine is senseless,’ Manchin said.

‘The entire world is watching as Vladimir Putin uses energy as a weapon in an attempt to extort and coerce our European allies. While Americans decry what is happening in Ukraine, the United States continues to allow the import of more than half a million barrels per day of crude oil and other petroleum products from Russia during this time of war,’ the senator said in a statement Monday.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) called it 'hypocritical' to continue to import Russian oil and gas after its invasion of Ukraine

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) called it ‘hypocritical’ to continue to import Russian oil and gas after its invasion of Ukraine

His push as the U.S. and European allies announced a series of sanctions meant to target Russia’s financial sector and punish Putin and his inner circle.

Nevertheless, others including former National Security aide Dr. Fiona Hill are calling on nations and individual companies to suspend all business activity with Russia to avoid fueling its conquest of its neighbor through commodities purchases and other trade.

Manchin, whose resistance helped tank Biden’s $1.8 trillion Build Back Better plan, has long advocated for his state’s coal-based energy resources.

He said continuing to import from Russia ‘makes no sense at all and represents a clear and present danger to our nation’s energy security. The United States can and must ramp up domestic energy production and increase access to our abundant resources and technologies to both protect our energy independence and support our allies around the globe.’

Manchin called for blocking Russian oil and gas exports to the U.S.

Manchin called for blocking Russian oil and gas exports to the U.S.

Despite being the world's top energy producer, the U.S. imports oil and gas products from Russia and other countries for its refineries and other uses

Despite being the world’s top energy producer, the U.S. imports oil and gas products from Russia and other countries for its refineries and other uses

President Joe Biden will address inflation in his State of the Union address

President Joe Biden will address inflation in his State of the Union address

Local residents load sand bags onto the truck to defend the city, Odessa, southern Ukraine Sand bags for city defense prepared in Odessa, Ukraine

Local residents load sand bags onto the truck to defend the city, Odessa, southern Ukraine Sand bags for city defense prepared in Odessa, Ukraine

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at the White House Monday that ‘all options are on the table,’ but wouldn’t predict whether the U.S. would join Canada in a ban of Russian oil and gas. She read a long description of the state of play.  

‘As it relates to Russian gas, the U.S. government doesn’t dictate where the U.S. market sells our own oil and gas products nor where it acquires crude or refined products from for domestic consumption. This is all up to the private sector, other than exceptions like countries under sanctions, she said. 

‘So, the U.S. refiners currently importing Russian products are largely legacy refinery operations tooled in Hawaii and Alaska for certain supplies because of geography; and imports to the Gulf, both of certain refined products and of crude, as refiners in the Gulf mix crude supplies to meet the needs of their particular refinery designs,’ she added. She said the U.S. applauds private companies who made their own announcements, and wouldn’t rule out further action.

Although the U.S. is the world’s top oil exporter,  it imported about 672,000 barrels a day of oil and refined products from Russia, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Gulf refineries aren’t connected to the East Coast or the West Coast by pipelines, and refineries need certain types of crude. U.S. laws also limit the size of cargo vessels between U.S. ports.  

 The U.S. and allies in the the International Energy Agency (IEA) agreed Tuesday to release 60 million barrels of oil to try to stem rising prices. 

Amid the calls to act on Russian oil and gas, President Joe Biden also must contend with rising inflation – with oil having an affect on prices overall – as well as his own commitments to use more green energy and cut down on fossil fuels. 

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