Jasper Packard: “I want to correct, what I hope is a misunderstanding. We have never had in this bill funding for the Northeast energy…”

“I want to correct, what I hope is a misunderstanding. We have never had in this bill funding for the Northeast energy oil problem. That funding is in the Subcommittee on Interior, not in this bill. So we not only did not knock it out, it never was in this bill. There was an amendment passed on the floor of the House to do something in this area, but that jurisdiction really belongs in the Committee on Interior and not in this committee. This is to further clarify this whole issue. The House did pass a separate freestanding bill, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, and that would have dealt with the Northeast oil issue, but that bill is being held up in the Senate by Senator Boxer. And for that reason, it has not moved. It is on hold by the Senator. The administration claims, however, that as long as the appropriations exist, they do not need legislation to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In fact, the President announced last Friday that he was releasing 30 million barrels from that reserve. Clearly, he does not feel that legislation is necessary for this purpose. Madam Speaker, I do not agree with him, and frankly I do not think that is a wise policy, but the fact is that is what he announced.”