The “cruel reality” is that there is “not much more to be done” in the face of high gasoline prices, US Commerce Secretary admits.

The price of gasoline in the US continues to rise. 1:08 (CNN) –– The Secretary of Commerce of the United States, Gina Raimondo, admitted on Tuesday that there is not much more the White House can do to face record prices of gasoline affecting Americans. And in that sense she blamed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Unfortunately, that’s the cruel reality,” Raimondo said in response to CNN’s Kate Bolduan. And she added that there are not many steps left for President Joe Biden to take. “You know, this is due, in large part, to the aggression of the [presidente de Rusia, Vladimir] Putin. Since Putin moved his troops to the Ukraine border, gasoline prices have risen more than $1.40 a gallon. and the president [Biden] he is asking Congress and other possible ideas. But, as you say, the reality is that there is not much more to do, “he insisted. The bleak assessment of the Secretary of Commerce comes while gasoline prices have been skyrocketing for weeks, which has led to Americans having to pay every time more at gas stations just as summer kicks in. In addition, rising fuel costs also present a political headache for the Biden administration amid already high inflation. domestically rose another five cents on Tuesday to hit a new record high of $4.92 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), a figure that represents a 30-cent increase during the season alone. last week and 62 cents in the last month. Raimondo mentioned Tuesday the possibility of a gasoline tax exemption, but that would require action by Congress. The official also described l he record steps Biden took to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. Something that has had a negligible effect on prices. Prices will not decrease until the end of the war in Ukraine, the secretary stressed. “Again, what we have to do especially is to get Putin to end this war. And that’s also something we’re working on as hard as we can… The President [Biden] he thinks about this every day, and he pushes his team and Congress to come up with any possible idea because we are well aware of how this hurts American families,” Raimondo added. Gas prices skyrocket in the US again 1:16 Asked if she was comfortable with Biden meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman next month to potentially help curb fuel costs, Raimondo suggested the president “is going to use every arrow he has to aim at reducing gasoline prices for Americans.” He also added that he has “full confidence” in Biden’s judgment on that meeting. And he reiterated that the US government is evaluating suspending some tariffs that were imposed to China during the Trump administration, but he declined to go into details.