Grand Canyon Times

Speaking for President Joe Biden, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) decision to cut production of oil by 2 million barrels per day, calling the move "short-sighted" amid gas prices that continue to hover around record levels in Arizona.

“We believe the decision that OPEC+ made last week was a mistake and it was short sighted … the president has talked about recalibrating, readjusting our relationship with Saudi Arabia,” Jean-Pierre said during a White House press briefing Oct. 12. 

Jean-Pierre addressed questions about the administration’s response to OPEC’s move, as well as the impact on gas prices during the briefing. She also said that other moves could be possible to meet the high price crunch, including the planned release of 15 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in December.

“If we need to deal with additional challenges with supply, with affordability, we will have additional opportunity with the SPR if we need to do more sales into the future," Jean-Pierre said in a story by Politico.

The Center Square blames the latest jumps in gas prices on Biden's "constriction" of new, domestic sources of oil. 

“We are all living the consequence: Outrageously high prices and growing shortages,” said Daniel Turner, executive director of Power the Future, an energy workers advocacy group. 

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal claims tension between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia has deepened after the U.S. requested OPEC+ delay the huge production cut for another month. Saudi officials said the request was motivated by Democrats seeking to remain strong during the coming mid-term elections and denied the request, the Journal reported.

OPEC also announced that it would reduce its forecasts for oil demand by 460,000 barrels per day, blaming the shortage on an "unpredictable" world economy, according to Market Watch.

The SPR has been depleted by more than 33% in the past 12 months, and its stock is the lowest it's been since 1985, but Biden still continued to tap into the SPR American oil reserves as a means of driving down gas prices, Politico reported.

According to the American Automobile Association, gas prices now sit at an average of $3.836 nationwide, and $4.417 per gallon in Arizona.