Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-Ind.-08), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement after voting in support of the Strategic Production Response Act (H.R. 21). This bill would prevent the Biden Administration from using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in a non-emergency situation to manipulate the domestic energy market. 

“Under the Biden Administration, we have seen a continued assault on American energy production as part of Washington Democrats’ radical ‘rush to green’ agenda that has resulted in record-high energy prices for Hoosiers and all Americans.  It’s not a surprise that the energy policies pursued over the past two years have caused prices to rise – any high school economics student is taught: if supply goes down, prices will go up.  

“In an effort to temporarily bring prices back down and lessen the political pain caused by their flawed energy policies, the Administration has drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve and brought our crude oil reserve to its lowest level since the 1980’s. The SPR exists as a tool to help our nation respond to short-term emergencies, it shouldn’t be used as the Biden Administration’s Strategic Political Reserve. I am proud to have voted in support of the Strategic Production Response Act to prevent the further misuse of America's crude oil reserves by the Biden Administration,” said Dr. Bucshon.  

Background: 

The United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve is intended for use in short-term emergencies. According to the Department of Energy, there were only three emergency drawdowns prior to this current Administration: in 1991 to account for the supply disruption due to Operation Desert Storm, in 2005 to respond to Hurricane Katrina, and lastly in 2011 to help boost global oil supply during the Arab Spring. Over the last two years, however, President Biden has attempted to utilize the SPR to drive down the price of oil for Americans at home. This action has only drained our critical reserves and acted as a band-aid fix for the Administration’s reckless energy strategy. 

Congressman Bucshon and House Republicans support an all-of-the above energy approach that facilitates increased domestic energy production to ensure that Americans have access to reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy.