GAS PRICES - Please enlighten me

[orangecrush]

What exactly, if anything, can Joe Biden and a (narrowly) Democratic Senate and Democratic house do to alleviate the crushing burdens placed on ordinary people by outrageous gas prices?

And please don't throw it back at me asking "what would you do".

I do my job by voting for and supporting Democratic candidates.

From what I am seeing and hearing, if rapid, drastic action is not taken, we will be in seriously deep shit this November.

Talk me down.

[sop]

1. Nixon issued Executive Order 11615.

"In August 1971, President Richard M. Nixon issued Executive Order 11615 to impose the first wage and price controls since World War II. They were intended to suppress inflation, which at the time was less than 5 percent."

https://www.cato.org/blog/get-ready-price-controls-inflation-accelerates

Biden will be labeled a socialist if he imposes wage and price controls.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. Those wage and price controls only made the inflation worse.

I was already a working adult when that happened. At the time economists all said it was a truly dumb move. For one thing, all of a sudden people didn't get scheduled wage increases. I was one of them.

[sop]

5. That's why Biden won't do it.

[Midnight Writer]

6. My standard response to conservatives blaming Biden for gas (and other) prices.

"So you think President Biden should set prices on things we buy? Are you admitting free market capitalism doesn't work?"

[Tickle]

8. we need to produce more

and we wouldn't be having this conversation

[Mr.Bill]

9. Biden, like most all Democrats

are already labeled socialists. Mainly by people who don't even know what a socialist is.

[underpants]

2. It's happening worldwide

As always there are several factors but the current surge is effected by Russian oil not being bought and there are still a lot of people not GOING in to work.

[stopdiggin]

3. Nope. The president has already taken most

(if not all) of the measures that are reasonably available to him. And no - there is probably not gong to be some kind of 'miracle relief' t the gas pump that arrives between now and next fall.

addendum: --- There are probably 'discussions' going on about 'going after' major oil companies - and delivery systems - with legal threats vis-a-vis price gouging, profiteering, etc. etc. But I think the idea that such measures would actually be taken by the administration - rather than just jawboned - are largely fanciful. And further - have not the slightest doubt that the courts would be signalling a fat thumbs down on any such efforts almost before they had a chance to reach the bench.

[WarGamer]

7. There's not much that can be done... and little political will to do the things that would help.

[leftstreet]

10. He could give us all a stimulus check

[sop]

11. Now you're talking. Send them out a couple of months before the election. Drive the GOP crazy.

[SKKY]

12. It seems like something could be done. Gas shouldn't be this high...

...compared to the price of oil. I also think he could do something about baby formula. Those, at least in my mind, would be easy wins.

[roamer65]

13. In Michigan, it's about $1.15 a liter.

IMO, that’s cheap.

This isn’t an inflation problem, it’s a living wage problem which the GQP has fought against consistently.