On 1/25/2023, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik joined House Republican leadership to highlight the Strategic Production Response Act and Republicans’ commitment to restoring American energy independence. She said, “This week, House Republicans are working to end Joe Biden’s assault on American energy independence and restore our depleted Strategic Petroleum Reserves. For far too long, Joe Biden has risked America’s national security and drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserves to cover up for his anti-American energy agenda.”
The SPR is for emergencies—not Joe Biden’s political points. Our Strategic Petroleum Reserve oil is only supposed to be used for national security events, but Joe Biden has sold nearly 40 percent of our stockpile since being elected. In fact, Joe Biden has sold off more of our oil reserves than every U.S. President in history combined.
Today, our crucial emergency oil reserves are at the lowest level in my lifetime. As a result, China now has the world’s largest government controlled stockpile of oil. And Joe Biden and his Administration have no plan to reverse course.
On 1/25/2023, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Congressman August Pfluger (R-Texas), and Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) at today’s leadership press conference to discuss President Biden’s raids on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and his failed energy policies. Leader Scalise slammed President Biden for issuing a veto threat on the Strategic Production Response Act, which protects our country’s reserves in case of an emergency. Leader Scalise highlighted how President Biden’s policies have put our national security at risk and made the United States dependent on foreign nations for energy sources. Additionally, Leader Scalise called out the Biden Administration for shutting down U.S. energy production under the guise of climate activism when America produces the cleanest energy in the world. He said, “I think one of the most exciting parts of this new majority is that number one, we wanted to jettison the approach that Speaker Pelosi took where she shut down the ability for even committee chairs to be involved in addressing problems. Bills were written out of her office. She wouldn’t even let chairmen amend major pieces of legislation in committees, not allowing rank-and-file members the ability to have an input in how the process works.”
On President Biden raiding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve:
“So this week, you’re going to see another example of us opening things up and open rules, something we haven’t seen in seven years here in Congress, on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve bill that says if the President’s going to raid SPR, not during emergencies, but just in normal times, he at least has to show a plan for how he would replenish it. If you’re going to take something away, you should show people how you’re going to refill it.”
On President Biden threatening to veto House Republicans’ legislation:
“And what was interesting is that the President issued a veto threat on this bill yesterday, and it’s important that you read the veto threat to understand just how misguided President Biden’s approach to energy is. And in the veto threat, he actually said that his policies of raiding SPR have led to lower gas prices. Now, I don’t know if the calculator is broken at the White House, but since [President] Biden has been in office, we’ve seen a 40 percent increase in gas prices. That’s not lowering. It’s actually increasing so dramatically that it’s hurting hardworking families.”
On the need to reject Democrats’ far-left climate agenda:
“It’s one of the reasons that you pay more for everything when you go to the grocery store when you go to the shopping mall – anything you buy now costs more money because of [President] Biden’s policies. And he’s trying to claim that that’s actually lowered costs when in fact, it’s increased costs. And families know that. They know if you have bad energy policy, it makes our country less safe.
“It’s not like we’re using less energy. We’re actually using more energy. It’s just now we become more reliant on foreign countries. There’s no reason for that. We have the most abundant supply of energy here in America. And by the way, if you’re concerned about carbon emissions, and from the sound of all those private jets going to Davos last week, it seems like those faux conservationists seem to like talking in foreign countries about it, but they don’t practice it here in America.”
On how the Strategic Production Response Act bolsters U.S. energy production:
“Nobody makes energy in the world cleaner than the United States of America. So stop flying Air Force One to Saudi Arabia and other countries, begging Russia
https://facebook.com/HygoNewsUSA/videos/942310597142796/
Veto bill misguided: calculator broken at WH, gas prices 40% increase; show plan to restore depleted SPR