Susan Collins: “I rise today to join the ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senator Levin, in…”

“I rise today to join the ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senator Levin, in offering an amendment that would require the U.S. Department of Energy to develop and maintain cost-effective procedures to fill the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The amendment simply requires the Department of Energy to publish procedures for obtaining oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a manner that maximizes supplies, minimizes costs, and is consistent with national security. The amendment would give the Department of Energy 180 days to publish these procedures and would allow an opportunity for public comment prior to final publication. Two years ago, Senator Carl Levin, who at the time was chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, initiated an investigation into gas prices in the United States. Part-way through this effort he expanded the investigation to include analysis of Department of Energy policies with respect to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.”