Randy Weber: “It is interesting to hear the comment that apparently I didn't understand the last amendment. Having grown up on the…”

“It is interesting to hear the comment that apparently I didn't understand the last amendment. Having grown up on the Gulf Coast of Texas, first, Hurricane Carla, in 1961, I went through that. I think I understand the Gulf Coast of Texas, and I think I understand hurricanes. I have been there a long time. So I have to rise in opposition to this amendment. Why? This amendment fails to see that depleting our strategic reserve for nonemergency reasons could actually hurt our ability to help the American people exactly in those times and those events of a real supply interruption like a hurricane or natural disaster. Lord knows I have lived and been through a lot of them. This amendment would jeopardize Americans' energy security and energy jobs in several ways. First, it actually creates a loophole to allow ``test sales,'' Mr. Chairman, of oil out of the strategic reserve to be exempted even when it is not an emergency like we talked about on the Gulf Coast of Texas, my home area. How do we know this? History teaches us a valid lesson. For instance, under this amendment, the Biden administration could abuse its authority by using, again, a ``test sale'' to fund a new government program just like President Obama did in 2014. Second, again, it takes the lawmaking role of Congress and gives it to the executive branch. I have read the Constitution, too. I have read the Constitution. It gives the Department of Energy the power to decide whether the law takes effect.…”