House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., chastised Republicans on Friday for attacking President Biden when “we’re at war.”

Hoyer, the House’s second-highest-ranking Democrat, made the provocative comment while arguing on the House floor, responding to Republicans’ claims that Biden had “clamped down” on domestic energy production.

“In 2021, the Biden government approved more drilling licenses than the Trump administration approved in the first three years,” Hoyer remarked. “I’m not sure how the [Republican leader] justifies his statements about Biden limiting petroleum output.”

“It is regrettable that in a time of war, we spend all of our time criticizing our own president,” Hoyer added. “It is said that, despite the reservations of several administrations, the Europeans placed themselves in a position where they were dependent on Russia, and Russia now has no influence over us.”

“I hope we could break away from this and focus on the enemy,” the Democrat leader continued. “I understand there’s a lot of politics going on here, but we’re at war. We must generate energy.” The remarks come after the House passed a $40 billion Ukraine aid measure, which was then delayed in the Senate.

The United States is not currently at war with Russia because doing so would need a formal act of Congress to declare war.

Currently, it appears improbable that the United States would engage in a conflict with Russia. On Thursday, as gas prices reached a new high throughout the country, Biden postponed a large oil and gas lease sale.