LaLota Votes to Protect American Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, January 12th, 2023, Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01) released the following statement after voting YES on H.R. 22, the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act. This legislation would reverse the Biden Administration’s abuse of our vital strategic petroleum reserves (SPR).

H.R. 22 passed with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 331-97.

“The SPR should not be used to clean up the Administration’s reckless energy policy and we cannot continue to send our reserves to Communist China. The SPR is our safety net in case of supply chain or production issues and ensures that Americans and our military have emergency fuel,” said LaLota. “The Republican-led Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act, which over half of House Democrats supported, will prevent the Administration from selling our energy supply to the Chinese Communist Party and hopefully help to replenish the SPR. It is time to right the ship and ensure American energy independence and security.”

To read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.

Background:

• The SPR is at its lowest level since 1983 – and the Biden administration continues selling it off at an unprecedented rate with no concrete plan to refill it.
• The SPR is only intended to be used for actual oil supply interruptions, such as when an offshore production platform is shuttered due to a hurricane or a national security event.
• The Biden Administration sold off 1 million barrels of oil from the SPR every day beginning in May 2022 to distract from its disastrous energy policies that discourage American energy production.
• Due to the Biden administration’s opposition to oil production, pipelines, and refining in America, we have fallen behind China, Russia, and other adversaries when it comes to American energy dominance.
• Domestic oil production and refining capacity have both declined by 1 million barrels per day from peak levels under the prior administration.

###