Mississippi U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has joined fellow Energy and Natural Resources Committee members in introducing legislation to require more U.S. energy production when the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is tapped.
Lawmakers offered the Strategic Production Response Act following President Biden’s order last week to withdraw 50 million barrels of oil from SPR in a desperate attempt to dampen escalating fuel prices.
“Tapping of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will prove to be a short-sighted, inadequate, and ineffective attempt by President Biden to ease high prices being paid by families and businesses,” Hyde-Smith said. “The Strategic Production Response Act is a step toward reversing this administration’s misguided and harmful energy policies, which will continue to be a burden to our economy.”
Introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the Strategic Production Response Act (S.3287) would prohibit the Secretary of Energy from tapping the SPR for reasons other than a severe energy supply interruption until the Secretary of the Interior issues a plan to increase oil and gas production on federal lands and waters.
Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) also cosponsored the bill, which has been referred to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
