Summary:
Republican leaders are requesting a watchdog investigation into the Biden administration’s use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member John Barrasso have written a letter to the Government Accountability Office urging the agency to investigate the Department of Energy’s reliance on the SPR, which they claim has undermined U.S. energy security.
Takeaways:
- The Biden administration has ordered the release of 260 million barrels of oil from the SPR since taking office.
- Republican leaders are concerned that the repeated drawdown of oil stocks from the SPR could ultimately erode the SPR’s physical integrity.
- The SPR has fallen to its lowest level since October 1983, leaving the country more vulnerable to energy supply disruptions.
- The lawmakers argue that the Biden administration’s actions have given foreign countries like OPEC and Russia the ability to use energy as a geopolitical weapon.
- A watchdog investigation into the DOE’s management of the SPR is necessary to ensure that the agency is held accountable for its mismanagement of the reserve.
Commentary:
The Republicans’ call for a watchdog investigation into the Biden administration’s use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a necessary step to ensure that America’s energy security is not compromised.
The SPR is a critical component of our energy infrastructure, and its mismanagement could have serious consequences for the country’s ability to meet its energy needs in times of emergency.
The Biden administration’s actions have left us vulnerable to supply disruptions and have given foreign countries an opportunity to use energy as a tool to advance their geopolitical interests.
We must hold the DOE accountable for its failure to establish long-term plans for the reserve and ensure that the SPR is in good shape and prepared to protect the American people in times of crisis.
Source Fox News