On Thursday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Steve Rattner, who served as counselor to the Treasury Secretary in the Obama administration, said that if you gave people at the White House truth serum, “I’m not sure how excited they would be” about a three-month gas tax holiday and that President Joe Biden’s criticism of refiners and suggesting invoking the Defense Production Act are off-base because current oil refineries “are running at full capacity.”
Rattner stated, “I’m having a hard time finding anybody who’s excited — as excited as the White House is about this gas tax holiday.” And “Deep down, if you gave them truth serum, I’m not sure how excited they would be.”
He added, “The average adult American will save $23.85 over a three-month gas holiday.”
Rattner further pushed back against Biden’s criticism of refiners for not refining enough by saying that “refining capacity has gone down” due to refineries shutting down since the pandemic, but “the rest of the ones that are left are running at full capacity.”
He then turned to Biden floating invoking the Defense Production Act and said, “[W]hat are you going to tell them to do? They’re producing at 100% virtually.” And “As much oil as can be pumped in America, certainly, is coming out of the ground. As much as can be refined is being refined.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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