Lawmakers wary of potential oil talks with Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran

The Biden administration’s willingness to engage with the likes of Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran to potentially fill voids of foreign oil imports is rattling some lawmakers who say the White House should not be cutting off foreign relations with one dictator in exchange for another to stabilize global energy markets.

Officials have said no decisions have been made about importing oil from Venezuela or Saudi Arabia, but the conversations underscore the difficult position the White House is in as it seeks to balance the desire to punish Russia amid concerns at home about soaring gas prices and the potential of further destabilizing worldwide energy markets.