Joe Crowley: “the issue I want to talk about is the issue of the skyrocketing cost of home heating oil in the Northeast, particularly…”

“the issue I want to talk about is the issue of the skyrocketing cost of home heating oil in the Northeast, particularly in New York and New England. It is an extremely, extremely serious problem. The problem was brought to my attention, quite frankly, by the good work and the efforts of our U.S. Senator from New York who was seen nightly on the television programs, Chuck Schumer, talking about the imminent problem that we are now faced with. I, along with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), introduced legislation to provide the Secretary of Energy with the authority to draw down the Nation's reserve oil supply in the Strategic Oil Reserve. That will go a long way to reducing the cost of home heating oil immediately, as was demonstrated back during the Iraqi conflict in 1991 when then President Bush opened the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and, overnight, the cost of home heating oil dropped by $10 a barrel, affording millions of people in this country more home heating oil. President Clinton has indicated that he will not draw down the supplies; but I, along with many of my colleagues, will press him in this matter. Hence, I have joined with a number of my colleagues in both political parties asking him to reconsider his refusal to use these reserves.”