WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Congress is holding several hearings to investigate how the actions of corporations are contributing to rising costs of everyday goods, including gasoline. At 10:30a, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on rising gas prices that will feature testimony from prominent oil and gas executives.

In recent weeks, Navigator has conducted several relevant polls on the link between corporate greed and inflation. Findings include:

• A majority of Americans (54 percent) specifically hold oil companies accountable for rising gas prices. When asked whom Americans hold more responsible for gas prices increasing, most blame oil and gas companies for rising gas prices over Joe Biden and Democrats (net +8). A majority of Americans also blame Vladimir Putin and Russia more than Biden and Democrats (net +10).

• A majority of Americans are also supportive of new taxes on oil companies’ profits to offset the high price of gas (58 percent). Three in four Democrats (75 percent), a majority of independents (56 percent), and two in five Republicans are supportive.

• 73 percent of Americans, including 67 percent of independents, agree that “corporations being greedy and raising prices to make record profits” is a cause of inflation, with 44 percent believing it is a “major cause.”

 

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About Navigator Research

Navigator Research project is designed to act as a consistent, flexible, responsive tool to inform policy debates. By conducting research and providing reliable guidance to inform allies, elected leaders, and the press, Navigator helps top leaders in Washington and grassroots leaders around the country shape the debate on the issues that matter most. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

About These Studies

This release features findings from two national online surveys of 1,000 registered voters each, conducted January 20-24, 2022 and March 17-20, 2022. These surveys were conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables. The margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level for each survey is +/- 3.1 percent.