House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement on President Biden’s expected announcement to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).
“Under President Biden’s leadership, America’s domestic energy production has declined by more than 1.5 million barrels per day, due in part to the anti-fossil fuel regulatory agenda waged by the administration. Now that gas prices are surging out of control, President Biden is pulling an election-year move by releasing oil from our strategic stockpile.
“President Biden should let American energy workers get back to work and unleash the vast reserves of oil and gas under our feet. America is the world’s leading producer of oil and gas in the world, and we should act like it.
“The administration needs to provide an energy security plan that includes how it plans to replace oil drawn down from the SPR. Does the administration just plan to begin buying Russian oil and asking dictators again? The answer is to flip the switch for more domestic production here in America. That’s why I’m leading on the American Energy Independence from Russia Act, which would unleash America’s oil and natural gas production. Let’s say ‘yes’ to American energy to deliver the affordability and reliability that people need.”
NOTE: H.R. 6858, the American Energy Independence from Russia Act would promote American energy independence by:
- Removing all restrictions on liquified natural gas (LNG) exports
- Restarting oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters – which was halted by the Biden administration
- Immediately approving the Keystone XL pipeline
- Protecting American energy and mineral development from attacks by the Biden administration
- Requiring Biden to submit an energy security plan within 30 days and requires the Secretary of Energy to develop a plan to replace oil drawn down from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
