Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow told Congress that spiraling gas prices “didn’t matter” to her because she’s just purchased a new electric car.
Stabenow, the senior Democrat Senator from Michigan, commented this week on the state of rising gas prices across the country. Stabenow told Congress that “after waiting for a long time to have enough chips in this country to finally get my electric vehicle,” she finally got her car and “drove it from Michigan to [Washington DC] this last weekend.”
Luckily for Stabenow, gas prices weren’t a concern for her with her new mode of electric transport. She said that as she drove by every single gas station on the route, it “didn’t matter how high” prices were. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity for us to move to vehicles that aren’t going to be dependent on the whims of the oil companies and the international markets,” she added.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI):
“On the issue of gas prices, I drove my electric vehicle from Michigan to here last weekend and went by every gas station and it didn’t matter how high it was.”
pic.twitter.com/VWSd9BJ3kk— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 7, 2022
According to the most recent figures from December 2021, the average price of an electric vehicle is $56,437, which is around $10,000 higher than the industry average, although this includes both gas and electric cars. As CNBC notes, this is equivalent to “an entry-level luxury car.”
Many buyers also install a “level 2” charger at home, for another upfront cost of $2,000.
In Michigan, the median household income from 2016 to 2020, in 2020 dollars, was $59,234, according to the US Census, with per capita income sitting at $32,584. Around 12.6% of the population were also deemed to be in poverty.
Stabenow’s comments follow those of CNN’s Brian Stelter and senior Joe Biden advisor Gene Sperling, who both admitted that they do not feel the same “pain” of paying high gas prices at the pump as regular, everyday Americans do.
The exchange came during a discussion about why the corporate media does not cover the rising gas prices under Biden in a way that satisfies most Americans.
OUT OF TOUCH: Senior Biden advisor Gene Sperling has no idea what high gas prices feel like.
“I’m not gonna try to say I feel that pain personally.” pic.twitter.com/IeWaeIbNBP
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 6, 2022
