Josh Siegel of Politico has an article on one of the House Republicans’ top priority bills now that they’re in the majority. Sponsored by Rep. Cathey McMorris Rodgers of Washington state, it’s called the Strategic Production Response Act.
The House GOP is calling a vote this week on legislation, H.R. 21 (118), that would prohibit releases from the underground petroleum stockpile unless the government approves a corresponding increase in domestic gas and oil production on federal lands.
Even if H.R. 21 passes the House, it will not become law in the 118th Congress because the Democrats control the Senate. This is just a messaging bill, and I guess it’s supposed to be a “thank you” to Big Oil donors to the Republican Party.
Siegel notes, however, that most of the Big Oil lobbying world isn’t interested in the Strategic Production Response Act. They are instead “placing a priority on issues such as easing permit rules for pipelines and natural gas export terminals.”
If there’s a message that might actually resonate with voters, I suppose it’s highlighting the fact that the strategic petroleum reserve is at it’s lowest point since 1983 after Biden heavily tapped it to help drive down oil prices (40 cents per gallon, per the Treasury Department estimate) just prior to the midterm elections.
But reminding voters that Biden took action to successfully combat inflation is sure to offset any concerns about political use of the reserve or our present level of energy security. In other words, the bill isn’t very convincing as a message.
It does fit, however, into a more generalized grievance message for the Republican base, which ties in with anything the government might do to limit climate changing emissions. They oppose more efficient light bulbs, more efficient appliances, electric cars, wind, solar and geothermal power. They’ll talk about these issues as examples of governmental tyranny. They’ll say windmills cause cancer. They’ll say anything, no matter how ridiculous, if it in some way can poison their supporters against environmentally friendly action.
So, I guess that’s the main message of the Strategic Production Response Act. In that limited sense, it will be effective and worth their while as a first order of business in Congress this year.
Good point. More broadly, Republicans are, generally speaking, against *any* effective action by the federal government especially if it’s undertaken by or seen to benefit Democrats. Biden used the Reserve—successfully!—to keep money in the pockets of ordinary Americans. What’s more, by replenishing the Reserve with cheaper oil, he’ll have done so while making a profit for the people’s government. That’s not the kind of example that Republicans can afford to let stand unchallenged.
Aren’t petroleum companies already sitting on a ton of leases/permits to drill on federal land that they’re not even using?