A Tennessee Senator is warning the president about the new "axis of evil" that pose a threat to the democratic West.
Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee on Tuesday warned Democratic President Joe Biden of a new "axis of evil" that is made up not only by Russia, but other communist countries as well. President Biden may have been signaling that his administration was "ready" for war, but the Republican leader believes that Russia is not the only real threat to be considered.
"[Biden] should be focusing on Russia, China, Iran and North Korea - I call them the new axis of evil," Sen. Blackburn told Newsmax's Eric Bolling and Lyndsay Keith. "And, of course, we know that Russia and China and Iran were quite emboldened by what they saw take place in Afghanistan."
Sen. Blackburn argued that the American people "want answers for what happened in Afghanistan" and "deserve" to know what truly happened. But on Tuesday's State of the Union address, President Biden refused to talk about such matters. The Republican leader said that Americans are now "really frustrated with the lack of attention that Joe Biden has paid to Ukraine, and the lack of attention he has paid to Russia's aggressiveness."
Sen. Blackburn lamented that the U.S. refuses to stop purchasing oil from Russia, something that should have ceased years ago, the Republican leader argued. The Tennessee senator said that the U.S. should have stopped buying Russian oil before the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the U.S. "should have sent that message loud and clear," she argued. Instead, "Joe Biden did not do that."
Instead, the Republican leader said that the Biden administration put an end to U.S. energy independence and continues to purchase more than "600,000 barrels a day" of oil from Russia, which profits Sen. Blackburn believes is being used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to viciously attack Ukraine.
Sen. Blackburn added that President Biden should also be considering the relationship between Russia and China, especially if Russia will be cut off the SWIFT system. The Republican leader posited that China may "try to pick up the slack and be the largest purchaser of Russian oil" once America ceases to buy oil from them.
"But certainly the United States of America ought not to be buying one barrel of oil from OPEC," Sen. Blackburn said. The OPEC or Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is an intergovernmental organization of 13 countries, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. Together they account for an estimated 44% of the global oil production.
ABC News reported that Sen. Blackburn is not the only GOP leader urging President Biden to stop purchasing oil from Russia. Republican elected officials across America are now criticizing the Democratic leader's energy policies and urging him to boost local oil production to offset the effects of the cutting ties with Russia and its oil. Current sanctions imposed on Russia over its unprovoked assault on Ukraine do not include oil and and gas exports from the country and many believe that if the U.S. did cut these off, it would put a dent on the Russian economy.
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio both urged President Biden this week to stop importing oil from Russia, citing that drilling for oil and gas had increased during the first year of the Biden administration's leadership. Reps. Tom Cole of Oklahoma and U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall of Kansas expressed similar thoughts to President Biden in a letter.
Between 5% to 10% of the U.S.' supply of oil and refined products come from Russia. Europe, on the other hand, is being supplied with natural gas from Russia, making up a third of its supply.
