Iran Gives Democrats A New Opening On Energy Prices

Democrats on Saturday seized on President Donald Trump's decision to attack Iran as a new front in their energy affordability campaign.

Crude prices had already begun climbing on Friday in anticipation of military action in Iran, a major oil producer that also sits at the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for fossil fuel shipments.

After House Democrats gathered last week for a retreat to hammer out their midterm messaging strategy, Trump's strike on Iran may give them a fresh line of attack.

"Americans are demanding help with the cost-of-living crisis, but President Trump would rather start another war, potentially driving up energy prices, than listen to them," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

When Trump launched an operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, some Democrats said he was putting the nation at risk to take over that nation's oil.

The Iran situation is different. Democratic critics say the president launched what he called "major combat operations" without enough consideration of energy prices. Roughly 20 percent of the world's oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

During Tuesday's State of the Union address, Trump exaggerated the drop in gasoline prices, saying they were "in some places $1.99 a gallon." The U.S. average sat at $2.98 on Saturday, according to AAA.

A protracted war could send prices higher, especially if Iran blocks oil tankers from accessing the Persian Gulf. Ships are already avoiding the area.

“Destabilizing Iran is not cost-free. Iran has the capacity to disrupt oil shipments in the Persian Gulf, activate proxies across the region, and trigger refugee flows that would immediately affect Qatar, the UAE, Turkey, and others," said Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.).

Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said, "Americans don't want another war, let alone another drawn-out, costly war — they want lower costs at home and no more distractions."

But Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah), responding on social media to a comment from a conservative journalist, suggested Americans won't be too bothered by the Iran situation. Lee's office did not return a request for comment.

"When domestic issues are particularly pressing, voters naturally focus less on international matters," Lee wrote on X.

Most Republicans appear to support Trump's decision to attack Iran, but some anti-war conservatives — including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky — are joining with Democrats in sponsoring resolutions coming for a vote in the House and Senate next week against American intervention.

Moderate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), long active on energy issues, said, "Events are rapidly unfolding, and I expect Congress to receive the same level of engagement so we fully understand the scope, objectives, and risks of any further military action."

The focus on gasoline prices in Congress and the campaign trail will likely increase dramatically if prices do spike. But so far, many lawmakers have more focused on debating the legality and wisdom of Trump's action.

"Iran is a bad actor and must be aggressively confronted for its human rights violations, nuclear ambitions, support of terrorism and the threat it poses to our allies like Israel and Jordan in the region," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

"However, absent exigent circumstances, the Trump administration must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war."

Reporters Amelia Davidson, Nico Portuondo and Andres Picon contributed to this report.