Wednesday 15 June 2022 11:22 PM Karine Jean-Pierre tells gas companies it is their 'patriotic duty' to increase ... trends now

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called on oil companies to produce more oil and gas products as a 'patriotic duty' to counter rising prices amid Russia's war on Ukraine.

Her message came after President Joe Biden accused big oil companies of seeing their profit margin triple on refining, amid global energy shortages and record gas prices. 

'We see it as a patriotic duty ... as we've talked about, there's war happening right now. That was caused by Russia, which is why we're seeing these hikes in gas prices, especially since since Russia has amassed, started amassing troops, on the border [of Ukraine], she said.

She drove home her message on oil companies at a briefing where she was accompanied by security official communications coordinator Adm. John Kirby, who fielded questions on Saudi Arabia and other topics. 

'We want to focus on the oil refinery, which is why we put out the letter today or yesterday, I'm losing my my track of time,' Jeane-Pierre said at a briefing.

'And so we see that as an important first step in making sure that the oil refineries are doing their their part again – patriotic duty – and making sure that they're putting out capacity, and they're not taking advantage of it's of a war that is hurting the American public. And so we're going to have – hopefully we're going to have ,we're going to have – a conversation. We're going to get to a solution and move this forward.'

She accused the companies of 'using' the war, on a day when Biden in his letter cited an 'unprecedented disconnect between the price of oil and the price of gas' – and said it pointed to company profiteering.

'They are using this moment, using this moment of war, where the American, where American families are feeling the high costs with food and gas,' she said. 'That is not a patriotic thing to do, and the president has the right to call them out.'

Jean-Pierre spoke at a briefing where she was accompanied by Kirby for the first time. He has assumed a role as communications coordinator at the National Security Council.

He fielded questions on a range of security topics, leaving Jean-Pierre just 13 minutes to take questions on energy, markets, and a Saudi attempted crackdown on homosexuality amid gay pride events. 

Kirby also addressed oil, calling production a 'global issue.' He said the agenda on Obama's trip to Saudi Arabia, which includes an expanded Gulf Cooperation Council meeting would 'certainly' include oil production.

Biden is calling on seven of the top oil companies to do something to help quell surging gas prices after accusing them of intentionally exacerbating the strain on Americans' pocketbooks after the average price per gallon surpassed $5.00.

The president is sending letters Wednesday to Marathon Petroleum Corp., Valero Energy Corp., ExxonMobil, Phillips 66, Chevron, BP, and Shell to demand action on lowering gas prices at the corporate level and account for the surge.

In a letter to Exxon and other companies, Biden wrote that the difference 'of more than 15% at the pump is the result of the historically high profit margins for refining oil into gasoline, diesel and other refined products.'

'Since the beginning of the year, refiners' margins for refining gasoline and diesel have tripled, and are currently at their highest levels ever recorded,' he added in the letter to Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods.

Biden is also threatening to use his 'emergency power' if oil companies do not take action to lower prices for a gallon of gas.

'Government tools and emergency authorities to increase refinery capacity and output in the near term, and to ensure that every region of this country is appropriately supplied,' he wrote. 'Already, I have invoked emergency powers to execute the largest Strategic Petroleum Reserve release in history, expand access to E15 (gasoline with 15% ethanol), and authorize the use of the Defense Production Act to provide reliable inputs into energy production.'

'I am prepared to use all tools at my disposal, as appropriate, to address barriers to providing Americans affordable, secure energy supply,' he added.

Oil companies have countered that the administration should free up more opportunities for oil and gas leasing domestically. 'We urge the president to prioritize unlocking U.S. energy resources that are the envy of the world instead of increasing reliance on foreign sources,' the American Petroleum Institute told the New York Times.

Biden has countered that oil companies aren't making use of all the leases they currently have.  

The price per gallon of regular gas hit a national average of $5.00 on Saturday for the first time ever, according to AAA. As of Wednesday morning the average price sits at $5.01, after hitting a new high of $5.02 on Tuesday.

Gas is most expensive in California, where some areas are

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