IV
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 287
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the actions needed to address
the recent dramatic price increase in heating oil and other petroleum
distillates.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 16, 2000
Mr. SHERWOOD submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committee
on International Relations, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the juriscition of the committee concerned
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the actions
needed to address the recent dramatic price increase
in heating oil and other petroleum distillates.
Whereas the United States is increasingly dependent upon
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) for crude oil supplies;
Whereas this growing reliance on imports has now reached 56
percent of the annual demand for crude oil in the United
States, placing the Nation’s economic future in the con-
trol of foreign governments, including Iraq;
Whereas OPEC may extend the existing production cuts;
•HCON 287 IH
Whereas according to the International Energy Agency, glob-
al oil supplies could be as much as 3 million barrels per
day below demand in the first quarter of 2000 and as
much as 1.5 million barrels per day below demand in the
second quarter;
Whereas the dependence of the United States on foreign sup-
plies to meet domestic demand has resulted in record-
high crude oil prices;
Whereas the current high prices for distillates such as heat-
ing oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel have had an alarming im-
pact upon domestic commerce and industry, especially
farming, trucking, utility, and municipal services;
Whereas the infrastructure for fuels such as natural gas (as
an alternative to heating oil for residences and industry)
is insufficient to meet demand, especially in the north-
eastern United States; and
Whereas a coherent energy policy on the part of the United
States Government could ameliorate such consumer price
vulnerability: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress calls on the President to
direct the Secretary of Energy to—
(1) take immediate action to negotiate with the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) and with non-OPEC nations to increase oil
production sufficient to mitigate the current supply
crisis such that world oil prices reach a sustainable
level for both producer and consumer nations; and
•HCON 287 IH
(2) develop a plan and recommend to the Con-
gress by July 1, 2000, both short-term and long-
term solutions by which the United States can re-
duce 
its 
dependence 
on 
foreign 
oil 
supply,
including—
(A) an analysis of options for sales or ex-
changes of crude oil from the Strategic Petro-
leum Reserve established by the Energy Policy
and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.);
(B) an analysis of options for increasing
efficiency in energy utilization;
(C) a plan for increasing natural gas sup-
ply to markets in the northeastern United
States; and
(D) an evaluation of how the United States
can increase domestic crude oil production to
alleviate risks to national security due to de-
pendence on foreign oil.
Æ