In a desperate attempt to placate voters frustrated by soaring gas prices, the White House has reportedly looked again at a discarded plan for the government to send millions of American drivers rebate cards to help ease the soul-crushing despair at the pumps, but there’s just one problem: thanks to Biden’s disastrous handling of the supply chain crisis, there’s a shortage of the chips needed to make the cards work.
The rebate idea was examined months ago, The Washington Post reports, but White House aids ultimately ruled it out after finding that “shortages in the U.S. chip industry would make it hard to produce enough rebate cards,” according to two people “familiar with the matter.”
White House officials exploring sending Americans rebates cards to offset gas costs ran into another problem — the chips shortage, which meant US couldn’t physically produce enough cards to make the plan work even if lawmakers tried to do it, per sourceshttps://t.co/k1YNcZN1eq
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) June 17, 2022
“White House officials also fear there would be no way to prevent consumers from using them for purchases other than gasoline,” another source told WaPo. “Even if the administration embraces the proposal, it would probably require congressional approval and face long odds among lawmakers wary of spending more money.”
Meanwhile, as American Wire News reported Thursday, Biden is still doing his best to ban new federal oil and gas leasing.
“The administration argued the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana should toss an April 29 motion from more than a dozen states asking the presiding judge to permanently nix the leasing ban,” American Wire noted of Monday’s Department of Justice court filings.
Biden is still trying to ban federal oil, gas leasing https://t.co/3pW0IJjODX
— American Wire News (@americanwire_) June 16, 2022
In June 2021, the Louisiana court issued an injunction on the ban. As a result, the federal government was forced to hold oil and gas lease sales until the final ruling in the case was issued.
Despite the injunction, not one onshore oil and case lease sale has been held by the Department of Interior (DOI) since Biden took office.
And still, gas prices soar.
On social media, reactions to the rekindled rebate plan seemed less concerned with the irony of Biden’s chip shortage and more with the impact such a program would have on already out-of-control inflation.
“So they actually OK’d this?” asked CMT Ian McMillan. “Ffs why does no one understand how inflation works?”
“Because they insist on blaming corporate greed rather than basic economics,” replied one user. “Emotions over facts.”
Because they insist on blaming corporate greed rather than basic economics. Emotions over facts.
— Trev (@hawkdriver80) June 17, 2022
When asked if he believed the inflation was a result of ignorance or a deliberate creation, the market technician replied, “I think we both know the answer to that, because no one is this dumb.”
i think we both know the answer to that, because no one is this dumb
— Ian McMillan, CMT (@the_chart_life) June 17, 2022
Another Twitter user pointed to the upcoming midterm elections and Biden’s dismal poll numbers as motivation for the rebates.
“We’re sinking in the polls and going to be decimated by the republicans, what should we do??” the user asked. “SEND MORE FREE CR*P TO THE MORONS SO THEY VOTE FOR US!!”
“Buying the idiot vote is the only hope democrats have left,” agreed yet another user.
Buying the idiot vote is the only hope democrats have left.
— CPACarter (@CpaCarter) June 17, 2022
Still, at least one Twitter user saw the chip shortage as cause to “LOL.”
“Literally the only thing saving this administration from screwing us with more inflation,” the user tweeted, “is the fact that they screwed up the supply chain.”
LOL, literally the only thing saving this administration from screwing us with more inflation is the fact that they screwed up the supply chain.
— Nuclear Herbs 🏊♂️🚴♂️🏃♂️🏅 (@NuclearHerbs) June 17, 2022
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
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