WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), praised the House’s passage of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ (R-WA) bill to prohibit the administration from drawing down the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) without implementing a plan to increase oil and gas production on federal lands except in the case of a supply emergency. McMorris Rodgers is chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 

“President Biden has recklessly raided our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. As a result, we are at a 40-year low. That means our vulnerability to an energy emergency is at a 40-year high. We need a plan to increase American energy production and refill the reserve. Doing that will boost our economy and enhance our energy security. Now that the House has acted, the Senate should approve legislation to increase American oil and gas production and make it easier to refill the SPR.” 

Background Information:

On January 24, 2023, Barrasso was joined by Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) in introducing S.31, the Strategic Production Response (SPR) Act, to prioritize American energy production. The SPR Act would prohibit the administration from tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, except in the case of a supply emergency, until they issue a plan to boost oil and gas production on federal lands and waters.

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