Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall chastised Americans for complaining about high gas prices and insisted they should consider that their "national security is even more important" than whatever blows are being dealt to their wallets at the gas pump.
Consumer prices are up 3.3% compared to a year ago, largely fueled by a surge in energy costs. The energy index jumped 10.9% in a single month as oil and gas prices climbed sharply. Amid the Iran war and the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, oil has risen back to around $100 a barrel, pushing gasoline prices up by a record 25%.
Higher fuel costs are also driving up shipping and transportation expenses, which in turn make imports more expensive—costs that businesses are likely to pass on to consumers through higher prices across a wide range of goods and services.
But Marshall—who owns a Kansas ranch, a Florida vacation home, and has assets between $2.75 million and $9.3 million—was unmoved during an appearance on Newsmax.
He said:
"We're the leading producer of oil in the world, we're exporting more than we're importing, we're not standing in line. Overall, wages have been growing faster than inflation under this president."
"It's going to be tax day very soon and Americans are going to get another extra thousand [dollar], $1,500 rebate as well. I’m sorry the gas prices are going up, but help is on its way, and your national security, yes, is even more important than your pocketbook."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Marshall defended the prospect of prolonged higher energy costs by comparing the situation to World War II, arguing that the U.S. must stay the course until it achieves its goals:
“Could you imagine trying to tell the president, ‘Look, you only got so many days to defeat Hitler or defeat Japan?’ We have to do it till we get the outcome that we want. I hope it’s weeks and not months, but at the end of the day, Americans are going to be safer."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Marshall was harshly criticized for his remarks.
Marshall's comments came just after President Donald Trump visibly alarmed Fox News host Maria Bartiromo when he said that gas prices might be even "higher" than they are right now by midterm elections later this year.
As Trump declared that Iran was effectively “wiped out,” he shifted abruptly into describing the dramatic rescue of two U.S. aviators whose fighter jet had been shot down, and Fox News graphics showed the national average for gas has climbed to $4.125 per gallon, up about $0.53 in a month, largely driven by higher crude oil prices.
