Steve Scalise: “I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and my dear…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and my dear friend, for yielding and for bringing this legislation, H.R. 22, to the floor. It is such an important piece of legislation to start standing up for America's national security. If you think about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, just think of the first word in that name, ``strategic.'' It is there for America's national security. First of all, raiding SPR, as it is referred to, President Biden has done over and over again, depleting 40 percent of our national security strategic reserve, not to move world oil prices. As you can see, Mr. Speaker, multiple times, starting in November 2021, President Biden has raided SPR because he has attacked American energy. As he attacked American energy, starting on his first day in office, the price of oil and gasoline at the pump subsequently has risen dramatically, crushing middle-class families. So, he started feeling the heat. His answer should have been to reverse the failed policies that are dramatically increasing gas prices by crushing American energy. That is not what President Biden did because the extremists on the left don't want that. They won't allow him to do it. Then, he turned to SPR, and he said, well, maybe we can just try to trick the American people by raiding SPR. So, he did. When he raided it, what happened?…”