Eastern Wayne Today

The Functional Government Initiative (FGI) expressed concern over President Joe Biden's recent energy policies and has addressed the rising costs of energy in the U.S.

In light of the Biden administration's recent announcement of an immediate ban on all U.S. imports of Russian oil, FGI is advocating for Americans' concerns about the implications it may have, FGI spokesman Peter McGinnis said, according to a press release from the group. 

"Last week, we expressed our concerns regarding the reluctance to sanction the Russian energy market and announced that we would be seeking information surrounding that decision," McGinnis said in the release. "However, the current situation creates the fear that we may be moving from funding Russia’s war machine to paying the dictator in Venezuela and the state sponsors of terrorism in Iran. The concerns of the Functional Government Initiative remain. We will continue working to expose the dysfunction of government and investigate the impact of today’s energy policy on our foreign policy and near-record levels of inflation."

Following the decision to ban all U.S. imports of Russian oil, the FGI continues to be concerned about the current energy policies the White House has in place. The organization is confident their investigation will yield vital results and help them better understand the energy priorities of the federal government.

FGI said in late February that they are seeking full transparency from government agencies in the following areas: actions to slow gas price hikes using emergency powers; calls for investigating the meat and energy industries; efforts to hinder domestic fossil fuel production, halt pipeline approvals, and shut down American mines; and considerations behind the decision to re-nominate a Federal Reserve chairman who has presided over 40-year highs in inflation.

American officials have reportedly started communication with the Venezuelan government that may lead to the easing of economic sanctions. These sanctions were originally placed on Venezuela in 2019, after numerous human rights abuses allegedly were committed by that government under Vladimir Putin's close ally, Nicolas Maduro. Communication with Iran, the world’s prime state sponsor of terrorism, also persists, which may ease sanctions on the Iranian oil sector.

The effects of energy prices spread across every sector of the economy. As fuel prices continue to rise and widespread inflation continues to affect American families, FGI said it is committed to investigating how energy policy affects America's influence abroad and Americans’ pocketbooks at home.

Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) believes the Biden administration is to blame for the country's current position regarding high energy prices. Last week, he said, "By effectively shutting down our own supply of critical oil and gas, the Biden administration increased our reliance on foreign countries for our energy needs, increased global emissions, and increased gas prices for American families."

As of March 16, the average gas price in Michigan is $4.21 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

FGI is a nonpartisan organization that works to demand transparency and integrity from government agencies and elected officials, while promoting shared values and beliefs of working Americans.