Mike Thompson: “My amendment would ensure that any plan to respond to high prices with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve includes oil…”

“My amendment would ensure that any plan to respond to high prices with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve includes oil conservation measures which will save our constituents money and strengthen our national security. Reducing our country's reliance on oil reduces our economic and security exposure to hostile foreign governments. The Biden administration has successfully used the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower prices for consumers following Russia's despicable invasion of Ukraine and in response to OPEC's punitive oil production cuts. In both cases, prices fell, and fell significantly, following the administration's actions. My amendment would give the administration another tool to reduce prices and save money for our constituents. Policies that reduce oil use by using it more efficiently or transitioning to other fuel sources altogether benefit every American. Having a plan with options that include boosting public transportation ridership, encouraging teleworking, and speeding the transition to using more electric vehicles would reduce our reliance on oil and lower fuel prices. Relying on oil companies to drill our way out of overreliance doesn't make sense and will never deliver true energy independence. Oil companies are sitting on 13 million acres and about 9,000 approved but unused permits on public lands that aren't being used to produce gas or oil.…”