WASHINGTON — A stern President Joe Biden addressed U.S. citizens this afternoon, encouraging drivers to avoid panic buying of gasoline in the face of the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline. But he saved his most serious comments for gasoline retailers.
“I know seeing lines at the pumps or gas stations with no gas can be extremely stressful, but this is a temporary situation,” he said in the address from the White House (click here for the full speech). “Do not get more gas than you need in the next few days. As I said, we expect the situation to begin to improve by the weekend and into early next week. The gasoline supply is coming back online and panic buying will only slow the process.”
He then added, “I also want to say something to the gas stations: Do not, I repeat do not try to take advantage of consumers during this time. … Nobody should be using this situation for financial gain. That’s what the hackers are trying to do. That’s what they are about, not us. That’s not who we are.”
Before moving on to a summary of his infrastructure proposal and a COVID-19 update, he said he is working with governors in the state effected by the gasoline shortage “to put a stop to price gouging wherever it rises, and I’m asking our federal agencies to stand ready to provide assistance to state-level efforts to monitor and to address any price gouging at the pump.”
The Alpharetta, Ga.-based Colonial Pipeline, the nation’s largest, was forced to shut down May 7 by a gang of hackers calling themselves DarkSide. The shutdown caused long lines as some panicked consumers created the gasoline shortage they were attempting to avoid by draining gas stations in the Southeast of their gas supplies.
Colonial restarted pipeline operations May 12, and gasoline supply is expected to be back to normal within a week.