By Rep. Mac Thornberry Roll Call Americans have always sought to control our own destiny. It is part of our heritage, and one reason we continue to be free and secure. But in one important area of our national security, we are turning our fate over to others. The area is energy - specifically, our dependence on foreign sources of oil. No other nation consumes more oil than the United States.
Oil heats our homes.
It fuels our vehicles. It makes our lives a lot easier on the whole. Yet because we are importing more and more oil from abroad, we face a real and increasing danger in the event our supply is ever seriously disrupted, cut off or threatened. The reserve was authorized nearly 25 years ago in response to the Arab oil embargo of 1973. Those who manage the Strategic Petroleum Reserve have one goal in mind - to preserve our energy security.