WASHINGTON - During his weekly radio address, President Obama said there are no easy answers for lowering gas prices and he criticized politicians who have been advancing plans to immediately lower the price of gas, The Hill reports.

"You see people trying to grab headlines or score a few points," Obama said. "The truth is, there€™s no silver bullet that can bring down gas prices right away."

The president advanced his own plan for controlling prices, calling for an end to price gouging (without detailing the specifics of what constitutes the offense) and to the $4 billion in federal subsidies for oil and gas firms, and urging ramping up domestic oil production.

"That€™s $4 billion of your money going to these companies when they€™re making record profits and you€™re paying near record prices at the pump. It has to stop," Obama said. "Instead of subsidizing yesterday€™s energy sources, we need to invest in tomorrow€™s," he added, expressing opposition to a proposal before Congress that would reduce the government€™s clean energy investment by 70 percent.

Obama also noted that a Justice Department task force launched last week would investigate fraud or manipulation in the oil markets, such as illegal trading.

"We€™re going to make sure that no one is taking advantage of the American people for their own short-term gain," Obama said.

Obama empathized with the effect high gas prices are playing on people but said there are no quick answers.