Cramer- America's Energy Abundance Fuels Freedom in the Middle East

Statement

Congressman Kevin Cramer made the following comments after media reports disclosed Swiss commodities house Trafigura will begin shipping American crude oil to Israel in the near future.

This action comes after the United States released its ban on exporting crude oil as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed in December. Cramer has long been an advocate in Congress for repealing the ban.

"Israel and our allies in Europe have lived with the real fear their economic and national security were threatened by the despots and dictators who controlled much of the world's crude oil supply," said Cramer. "Today's announcement U.S crude oil is being sent to refineries in Israel on the heels of shipments to Europe shatters the stranglehold OPEC and Russia has on the worldwide supply of energy. America's shale oil energy revolution allows us to use the peaceful tools of energy development to replace the weapons of war throughout the world. Increasingly important in the arena of international affairs is the fact our allies can now depend upon the United States instead of Russia and the Middle East to meet their domestic energy needs."

The ban on exporting crude oil was put in place as a response to the oil embargo resulting from the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In the wake of the embargo, which resulted in dramatic increases in oil prices and massive gasoline shortages in the United States, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 was enacted to address shortages.

Source