Joe Biden threatened on Monday, in vitriolic terms, to tax the “war profits” of the oil giants a week before the crucial legislative elections. “It’s time for these corporations to stop profiting from war and take responsibility in this country. The American people will judge who is on their side and who only cares about their profits,” he said.
The White House tenant mentioned the pharaonic profits recently announced by Exxonmobil and Chevron (more than 30 billion dollars between them in a single quarter).
He described as “scandalous” the results published in the third quarter by these companies in the sector. And he lamented that these profits are returned to shareholders and that executive compensation “explodes” while prices at the pump remain high. “Enough is enough!” he said.
Companies “will pay a higher tax”
The 79-year-old Democrat said the huge gains were mostly “war profits” due to rising oil prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
If companies don’t lower prices at gas stations, “they will pay a higher excess profits tax,” he said, indicating his teams would “work with Congress” to do so.
The declaration does not commit him much, since in just one week, on November 8, crucial mid-term elections will be held that could completely change the face of the two chambers of said Congress.
The “midterms”, which renew the entirety of the House of Representatives and more than a third of the seats in the Senate, are traditionally difficult for the power in power. And according to the latest polls, the Republican party, opposed to Biden, could take control of the House of Representatives.
Source: BFM TV
