Walberg: Using Emergency Oil Reserves Not a Real Energy Plan

Press Release

Walberg: Using Emergency Oil Reserves Not A Real Energy Plan

Eleven Days Since Speaker Shut Down the House, Pelosi Offers Only a Plan To Weaken National Security

Eleven days ago House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shut down the U.S. House of Representatives, refusing to allow even a vote to increase American energy production. While on tour to promote her recently released book, currently ranked #1,665 on the Amazon best-seller list, Pelosi criticized House members for remaining on the House floor to call for a debate on energy policy.

Instead of supporting or even allowing a vote on a comprehensive, "all of the above" energy plan that includes more oil exploration, more alternatives and more conservation, the Speaker and other Democratic leaders continue to oppose increasing American energy production. Instead of real energy solutions, House Democrats continue to find new gimmicks to push.

Their latest is releasing the emergency oil reserves in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The SPR is a tool of national security policy, not energy policy, and was never intended to be used to bring down oil prices during election years. Any oil removed would not be there if a true emergency were to take place.

"Rather than work on real energy solutions, Speaker Pelosi and her faithful followers would rather compromise America's national security and deplete our emergency oil reserves," Walberg said. "Making America completely dependent on Hugo Chavez and Vladimir Putin is not an energy plan and would weaken America's national security. This is another silly gimmick that does nothing to increase energy production, instead it just depletes an emergency energy source. We need to work on long-term solutions that increase American energy production, increase alternatives and increase conservation."

About the SPR:

- The SPR could maintain oil releases for at most six months, at which time the SPR would be nearly empty.

- Was created to deal with emergencies that affect U.S oil supply.

- The less oil in the SPR, the more likely that the U.S. is affected by an oil supply shock.

- Releasing oil from the SPR is a completely short-term solution that would minimally affect prices.

- This short-term, questionable action would divert attention from a long-term, comprehensive energy plan.

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