As public opinion poll after public opinion poll has confirmed, surging gas prices is one of the most controversial issues in the US. As President Biden made clear when he announced his plans to release 180 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Democrats are doing everything they can to try and blame rising prices on President Putin and the American energy industry (which Biden accused of greedily holding back on production, even though his own energy policies have made it harder for shale producers to do so).

So, in their latest attempt to blame the spike in prices on evil corporate America, Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations are holding a hearing on Wednesday, where they will interrogate the CEOs of Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP America, Shell USA, Devon Energy Corp and Pioneer about the dynamics driving the surge in prices at the pump. The title of the hearing tells one everything they need to know about the overall tone: "Gouged At The Gas Station: Big Oil And America's Pain At The Pump".