Appearing on MSNBC Thursday morning, Republican Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick completely dismantled the left-wing cable channel’s attempt to parrot false Biden White House spin that the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago was responsible for months of surging inflation and gas prices. The GOP lawmaker rejected the absurd talking point with a fact check in real time.
“Breaking news, the new numbers just out this morning shows inflation rose 7.9% year over year in February....At the same time, gas prices reached another record, $4.32 a gallon this morning,” anchor Chris Jansing announced at the top of the segment. Moments later, she brought on Congressman Fitzpatrick and worried:
Let’s talk money first here at home, if we can, Congressman. You voted for the bill the House passed last night banning Russian oil and energy products after President Biden announced that ban earlier this week. And look, polls show the vast majority of American people support that. But when you look at the gas price numbers, when you look at the inflation numbers, you do wonder how long Americans can hang in there. What’s your thought on that?
Fitzpatrick immediately went to work ripping apart the notion that long-term inflation and spiking gas prices due to poor Biden administration policies were actually being caused by the recent outbreak of war in Ukraine: “...a very small percentage of the bump-up in gas prices has to do with the conflict in eastern Europe right now.”
He called out numerous decisions by the President that were actually responsible for the massive hit to the wallets of the American people: “We’ve been seeing gas prices rise throughout the entirety of the past year due largely to energy policy that’s adopted over the past year – shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline, giving the thumbs down to the...eastern Mediterranean pipeline from Israel going to Europe, and green-lighting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which thankfully has now been eliminated.”
He emphasized: “But there have been a lot of decisions that have been made over the past year, Chris, that have led to higher gas prices.”
Trying to change the subject, Jansing touted a group of Democratic governors – including Pennsylvania’s Tom Wolf – urging a gas tax holiday gimmick to offer temporary relief: “Well, let me ask you about this, because your governor, Tom Wolf, joined the governors of five other states this week calling for a federal gas tax holiday. Is that something you support?”
While Fitzpatrick endorsed the idea “if it helps give relief at the pump,” he reiterated: “...but, you know, I think it’s important, Chris, that we dissect properly and break down what is all part and parcel to the increase in prices we’re seeing, particularly – ”
A frustrated Jansing cut him off: “You know, I understand that, Congressman, but don’t you think – and look, you’re a politician, you know this better than I do, people just are looking and saying, ‘Can you help us, can you give us some relief?’”
It was actually the second day in a row that a guest veered from MSNBC’s typical leftist narrative while talking to Jansing. It’s awkward when the pundits and politicians brought on the show do a better job of holding the president accountable than the anchor does.
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Here is a transcript of the March 10 exchange:
9:38 AM ET
CHRIS JANSING: Breaking news, the new numbers just out this morning shows inflation rose 7.9% year over year in February. This is the highest number in nearly 40 years. At the same time, gas prices reached another record, $4.32 a gallon this morning.
(...)
9:40 AM ET
JANSING: Joining us now, Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, just back from the Poland-Ukraine border as part of a bipartisan delegation. Let’s talk money first here at home, if we can, Congressman. You voted for the bill the House passed last night banning Russian oil and energy products after President Biden announced that ban earlier this week. And look, polls show the vast majority of American people support that. But when you look at the gas price numbers, when you look at the inflation numbers, you do wonder how long Americans can hang in there. What’s your thought on that?
REP. BRIAN FITZPATRICK [R-PA]: Yeah, thanks for having me, Chris. A small percentage – and this is reflected in the Reuters poll that I think you’re referring to – a very small percentage of the bump-up in gas prices has to do with the conflict in eastern Europe right now. We’ve been seeing gas prices rise throughout the entirety of the past year due largely to energy policy that’s adopted over the past year – shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline, giving the thumbs down to the East-Med pipeline, the eastern Mediterranean pipeline from Israel going to Europe, and green-lighting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which thankfully has now been eliminated.
But there have been a lot of decisions that have been made over the past year, Chris, that have led to higher gas prices. The marginal bump-up that we’re seeing now regarding the conflict in eastern Europe, that is, you know, a small piece of this, but I think that is a small piece that people are willing to pay in order to protect lives in Ukraine.
JANSING: Well, let me ask you about this, because your governor, Tom Wolf, joined the governors of five other states this week calling for a federal gas tax holiday. Is that something you support?
FITZPATRICK: If it helps give relief at the pump, yeah. And we’ve got to work out the economics of it, but, you know, I think it’s important, Chris, that we dissect properly and break down what is all part and parcel to the increase in prices we’re seeing, particularly –
JANSING: You know, I understand that, Congressman, but don’t you think – and look, you’re a politician, you know this better than I do, people just are looking and saying, “Can you help us, can you give us some relief?”
FITZPATRICK: Sure. And we ought to give them that relief, Chris, for sure. And anything that does that we have to do.
(...)
