How to Make Obama Replace What He Might Pull from Oil Reserve
While President Obama has been bragging across the stump that domestic oil production is at an 8-year high — without clarification that this is due to leases on private land — the Bureau of Land Management reports that the amount of federal acreage leased for energy production is at its lowest point since 1984.
A clever way to reverse that trend while tapping into election-year fears about high gas prices is advancing through the House.
Freshman Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced in March, at the height of the Keystone fury and soaring pump prices, a “compensatory production increase plan” that would place conditions on President Obama should he decide to dip into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Once the president decides to access the SPR, the secretaries of Energy, Agriculture, and the Interior would have 180 days to formulate a plan for new energy leases on federal land — and the production would have to equal that which is sapped from the reserve.
“It gets beyond the quick-fix policies of President Obama,” Gardner told PJM. “It actually moves to a long-term supply solution.”
The legislation was marked up in the Subcommittee on Energy and Power this week, and should be marked up by the full Energy and Commerce Committee, of which Gardner is a member, within the next couple of weeks. The congressman expects the bill to make it to the House floor — for what should be a “great debate” — before Memorial Day, when summer travelers will likely face stinging costs to fill up the tank and candidate Obama will face fresh temptation to drive prices down.
White House press secretary Jay Carney, when pressed by a reporter Tuesday, said he had “no new information” on whether oil will be released from the SPR.
“I’ve made clear that we don’t rule out that action or others that we could potentially take, even as we make clear and the president makes clear that there is no single action that can magically drop the price at the pump that is causing a burden for American families,” Carney said.
Gardner has no doubts that the president would take a swig from the reserve to ease gas prices during the election cycle.
“It’s a trend with this president who’s willing to do anything for politics,” he said.
The congressman, citing statements by Energy Secretary Steven Chu and others, also said this administration is “intentionally trying to drive the price of energy up.”
When Obama redundantly pushes for an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, “it’s all the above as long as it’s their above,” Gardner said.
A member of the GOP Young Guns program and the conservative Republican Study Committee, Gardner won his district by a whopping 73.3 percent in the midterm GOP House takeover.
He has 14 Republican co-sponsors on the bill, but expects some conservative Democrats will join the effort. He’s also reached out to a few senators about companion legislation in the upper chamber.
Obama last tapped into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a 727 million barrel stockpile created during the 1970s Arab oil embargo and intended for use in emergencies, in June 2011. It had been drawn down three previous times: during Operation Desert Storm by Bush Sr., after Hurricane Katrina by George W. Bush, and by Bill Clinton eight weeks before Vice President Al Gore’s presidential election.
The stage is set for renewed oil battles with the administration after the House defied a White House veto threat yesterday and approved 293-127 text calling for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline inserted into a highway bill.
Sixty-nine Democrats, including Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.), voted for the bill. Fourteen Republicans voted against it.
“There is an effort — and not for the first time, an effort by Congress — members of Congress who seem to think it is a wise decision to preemptively approve something that will be done — in violation of many, many years of precedent, approve a pipeline that would be built by a foreign company, that emanates from a foreign country without knowing where that pipeline would go,” Carney said at today’s press briefing.
Gardner called Obama’s embrace of part of the pipeline and vow that he’ll expedite the rest of it “disingenuous” and “trying to have it both ways” with both the majority of American consumers and his environmentalist supporters. “The president is on the wrong side of this issue,” he said.
But it just underlines a greater threat to domestic production posed by this administration, he said, and underscores a need for accountability measures such as his bill.
“The totality of actions shows nothing but hostility toward domestic energy production,” Gardner said.
Hey we have a real emergency gas prices are too high and they are getting higher so the president is in trouble of losing the election so lets drain the Strategic Petroleum Reserve so maybe gas prices will go down and the president can take credit for that, but what about timing what if Iran is attacked by Israel or what would happen then and how fast would we see even higher prices, Oh heck the summer is coming and people might take vacation even though not like the one the Obama’s take but nevertheless they will increase demand for a limited resource yep let’s see the timing on this.
I am certain that the timing will be incorrect no matter what is happening because that reserve has a real purpose (or does it)? This incompetent man is going to lose the election and all his press secretaries are just liars and not very good at …well anything, they are laughingstocks and rightly so. Jay Carney should give his press conferences from a dunking booth, but instead of water they fall into it should be real bullshit!
I don’t believe that dipping into the federal reserve is a good idea at anytime. We need long term solutions not quick fixes to help politicians careers.It is time for all American citizens to let all of the politicians that their time is up. Put up or shut up. All this gaming is doing no good at all.
“approve a pipeline that would be built by a foreign company, that emanates from a foreign country without knowing where that pipeline would go”
What dastardly foreign country is that dastardly foreign company from? Venezuela? Saudi Arabia? Russia? No it’s from that evil enemy Canada! You know, the one that shares a transcontinental border with the U.S. The right-next-door foreign country that is America’s friend and ally and is one of her largest partners in trade. Heavens, that foreign company, Transcanada Pipelines, already owns a major network of oil pipelines across the U.S. Those sneaky Canadians!
Don’t know where the pipeline will go? I guess the documents that describe the planned route of the pipeline were written with invisible ink. Or maybe the dog ate them, then Obama ate the dog.
As usual, the Whitehouse Gang is spouting utter nonsense.
You can’t trust those wily Canadians. I hear that they do all sorts of strange things like allow women to drive, and even show their faces outside the house. And as a member of NATO they were on the winning side of a Cold War for which Obama hasn’t admitted defeat. Who knows, they might even allow people to vote to determine their rulers.
Oh get oot, eh? You’re all a buncha hosers. My dag is smarter’n alla you southerners. With all yer keener voters on the pogey, it’s no wonder you got the president you did.
Take off! Yer van’s waitin’.
Watch what happens- 0bama taps the reserve, and prices STILL go up!!
Obama will tap the SPR if he thinks that it will improve his reelection chances; that is the only reason he does anything. He can then give a big speech about how he cares deeply about gas prices but those evil Republicans and oil companies and the ‘Arab spring’ and speculators are conspiring against his noble efforts, and that he had to act ‘boldly and decisively’ (and unilaterally) to work around a do-nothing congress.
“Under my plan, gas prices would necessarily skyrocket.” – Barrack Hussein Obama – 2008
Which thing is not like the other things?
Bush’s use of the SPR was legitimate. We were at war. That’s what it’s there for. ONLY for need in time of war.
The other uses were NOT legitimate.
A possible quibble, though. I seem to remember Carter tapping it during the ’73 oil debacle. Anybody remember?
The SPR was established in 1975. Its current holding capacity is 727 million barrels. Maximum draw down rate is 4.4 million barrels per day. Our imports are running at about 12 million barrels per day. Obama’s 30 million barrel withdrawal of 2011 has not been replaced.
If the Democrats were honest, they’d rename it the Political Petroleum Reserve. They call for its use to benefit themselves politically.
As I recall, Hurricane K. knocked out a good chunk of Gulf oil production. Tapping the reserve allowed refineries to remain in production and prevented a more dramatic price spike.
Now tapping it to try to elect President Gore was just….sad.
The Senate hasn’t produced a budget in over three years, what makes republicans think three uber-socialists will respond to a 180 requirement for “formulating a plan”?
Rules only work if everyone plays by them. If one team is obeying the rules and being held to them as well, while the other team cheats and the referees are ok with it, who’s going to win?
The finger-wagging and “warnings” by the castrated party is appalling. Stern letters of criticism only make smart-asses like those in the national socialist party laugh. If anyone criticizes them, they are racists. It’s just that simple of a juvenile, puerile joke.
Just like the “British Terrorism Alert levels”, the republicans are being stalwart examples of self-control.
http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=70255
You could insert your own choice of situations for the republicans going from “miffed” to “peeved” to “A bit cross”. Yes, it’s ludicrous but worth a chuckle or two.
Here’s another consideration: 727 million barrels of oil would sell for nearly $70 billion, which would postpone hitting the debt ceiling by 2+ weeks. It’s going to be touch and go with regard to whether or not we’ll be in a debt issuance suspension period on Election Day, and liquidating the Strategic Petrolium Reserve would go a considerable ways toward ensuring that we won’t hit the debt ceiling until after Election Day.
I’m all for drawing down the reserves so long as it is used to hold us over long enough to get our own production up to speed where we don’t need it anymore. Open federal lands with proven supplies, get the wells down and get cracking. Get ourselves self sufficient. We have plenty of our own if we were only allowed to go after it. Hey, even if it would only last long enough to get the pipeline going I would be happy. I’d much rather give my money to a good friend than depend on someone that hates my guts to supply something as vital as oil.