Letter to Hon. Joe Biden, President - Additional Action to Keep Gas Costs Down
Letter
Dear President Biden:
I write to you today to urge you to develop a long-term, coordinated strategy to address high gas
prices in the State of Nevada and throughout the country. Rising gas prices are hurting
Nevadans, and it is critical for the Administration to work to protect our workers, small
businesses, and families.
I appreciate that the Administration has agreed to release crude oil from the nation's Strategic
Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which will help provide near-term relief. As you are aware, U.S. gas
prices averaged $3.29 per gallon in October 2021, more than a dollar per gallon higher than they
were in October of last year. During this same month, Nevada experienced the third highest gas
prices in the country. According to the United States Energy Information Agency, this increase
marks the highest cost spike since 2014.3 For these reasons, I urged your Administration
to strategically schedule a release from the SPR during last week's Senate Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources hearing on November 16, 2021.
This release from our nation's stockpile should make a difference for families, but we must
continue to prioritize and pursue actions that will help Nevadans and all Americans in the longterm. To do that, it is imperative that the Administration continues to tackle this issue from all
angles. I appreciate your recent inquiry with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the
behavior of energy companies and ask for transparency and expediency throughout this
process. I also encourage you to continue to consider implementing a government-wide
approach to further address current energy prices, including efforts to address the Organization
of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) stronghold on global energy markets along with
our international partners, and to effectively implement key provisions of the recently enacted
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117--58) as quickly as possible.
Because today's high gas prices stem from a multitude of factors, including the COVID-19
pandemic, I respectfully request that you and your Administration continue to explore solutions
to assist Nevada families in both the short- and long-term. I thank you for your attention
regarding this urgent matter and look forward to working with you on this important issue
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