Gasoline pipeline shutdown tests Biden administration

The Biden administration, knowing that higher gas prices and long lines can carry severe political risks as well as threats to a recovering economy, is working to keep gasoline flowing after a cyberattack last week.

Officials laid out plans Wednesday to address transportation issues and price pressures after ransom-seeking hackers last week shut down the Colonial Pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the East Coast's gas.

It's possible that the pipeline could be running again in the next few days, but the administration is also pushing the crisis as a reason why President Joe Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure package should be approved.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg noted that the cyberattack was a reminder that infrastructure is a national security issue and investments for greater resilience are needed.

“This is not an extra, this is not a luxury, this is not an option,” he told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “This has to be core to how we secure critical infrastructure.”

The administration made a point of stressing all the steps it's taking to get gas back to service stations in affected areas.

The Transportation Department is surveying how many vessels can carry fossil fuels to the Gulf of Mexico and Eastern Seaboard to provide gasoline. Waivers have been issued to expand the hours that fuel can be transported by roadways. The Environmental Protection Agency has issued waivers on gas blends and other regulations to ease any supply challenges.

The technology firm Gasbuddy.com found that 28% of stations were out of fuel in North Carolina. In Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, more than 16% of stations were without gas.

But the sudden supply crunch after Friday's hack shows the challenges that can pop up for a White House that must...