Recognizing that the irresponsible withdrawal of petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a threat to the security of the United States.

Bill: 117-hres-1445
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Weber, Randy K., Sr. [R-TX-14]
Introduced: 2022-10-21
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Energy storage, supplies, demand

Oil and gas

Strategic materials and reserves
Latest action: action_date: 2022-10-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-10-21
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution calls on President Biden to stop the sale of petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves and instead prioritize the replenishment of the Strategic Petroleum Reserves.<br /></p>

tv_txt: IV 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1445 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 21, 2022 Mr. Weber of Texas (for himself, Mr. Cawthorn , Mr. Taylor , Mr. Biggs , Mr. Babin , Mr. Posey , Mr. Burgess , Mr. Crenshaw , Ms. Van Duyne , Mr. Ellzey , Mr. Fallon , Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas , Mrs. Flores , Mr. Jackson , Ms. Herrell , Mr. Webster of Florida , Mr. Chabot , Mrs. Miller of Illinois , Mr. Burchett , Mr. Gohmert , Mr. McClintock , Mr. Ferguson , Mr. Davidson , Ms. Letlow , Mr. Williams of Texas , Mr. Roy , Ms. Malliotakis , Mr. Carter of Georgia , Mr. Valadao , Mr. Pfluger , and Mr. Nehls ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Recognizing that the irresponsible withdrawal of petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a threat to the security of the United States.

Whereas the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 was enacted on December 22, 1975, creating the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to respond to the global oil crisis; Whereas the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is divided into four sites, Bryan Mound, Big Hill, West Hackberry, and Bayou Choctaw, near the Gulf of Mexico, with an authorized total storage capacity of 714 million barrels of oil; Whereas the President has the sole control over the drawdown and sale of petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; Whereas there have only been three emergency drawdowns from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in its history—during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and, in coordination with the International Energy Agency, responding to instability in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011; Whereas President Biden’s administration, since day one, has irresponsibly attacked the energy sector of the United States, halting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, creating bureaucratic challenges to the permitting process, and promoting the exclusive use of wind and solar energy (sources that are not entirely reliable), making the United States dependent on foreign powers; Whereas, on March 31, 2022, President Biden announced the release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve of one million barrels of crude oil per day for six months to stabilize volatile energy costs; Whereas, on July 26, 2022, President Biden authorized the sale of an additional 20 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to other countries, including China; Whereas, on September 30, 2022, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve held only 416.4 million barrels of oil, the lowest level since December 1985, significantly affecting the ability of the United States to respond to natural disasters or an attack on the United States; and Whereas President Biden’s release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to artificially lower gas prices at the expense of the national security of the United States is motivated by political, rather than economic or security, reasons: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes energy security is national security; (2) recognizes that President Biden’s attack on domestic production of oil and gas has resulted in the United States being energy dependent; (3) encourages higher levels of domestic oil and gas production as Americans produce energy more cleanly and more efficiently than any other country; and (4) calls upon President Biden to halt the sale of petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and to begin replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.