Strategic Production Response Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairwoman Rodgers for yielding me time.

I rise in support of H.R. 21, an important and timely bill, and I am proud that the new Republican majority made this one of our first priorities.

In less than 2 years, President Biden has drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, putting American energy security at risk.

Thankfully, House Republicans have a plan to address the issue, replenish our reserve, and unleash American energy.

The President's energy policies have hurt Americans, and I thank my colleague on the other side of the aisle. He is correct. In releasing oil from the SPR, it may have helped to lower gasoline prices; however, it uncloaked the lie that it was price gouging from oil companies that caused prices to rise to begin with.

More supply was needed, that was obvious, and this administration's policies had constrained domestic production and supply.

Approximately 40 percent of the SPR has been drawn down since President Biden took office, with no plan to replenish it.

Instead of working together to address the issue, the President has, indeed, chosen to peddle a false narrative about our efforts. The President claims our bill, the Strategic Production Response Act, would limit the administration's access to the SPR. This is blatantly false. Our bill specifically reinforces a President's ability to tap the SPR if an energy emergency is declared.

Our bill would, however, require the Department of Energy to prepare a plan to encourage domestic production if the SPR is tapped without a declared energy emergency.

While we may accept the seriousness of climate change, we do not accept that U.S. energy transmission and restructuring of the entire industrial base is the solution.

Energy security is national security, and failing to increase energy production and replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve puts our country at risk. We need to unleash American innovation and energy production and set our country on a path to energy independence.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 21.

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