Stupak stops Bush over oil reserves

NEWS RELEASE

CONGRESSMAN BART STUPAK 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

************************* Congress succeeds in pressuring administration to stop filling oil reserves

WASHINGTON - (May 16) - U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) announced on Tuesday that the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to suspend deliveries of crude oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) (click here).

On Wednesday, the Senate also approved the legislation by a veto-proof margin.

Due to the wide, bipartisan support in Congress, President Bush announced on Thursday he will not veto the bill, despite his belief that we should continue filling the SPR even as oil prices continue to skyrocket.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it will not enter into contracts to fill the SPR for the remainder of the year, freeing up 13 million barrels of oil for the U.S. market.

“The bill Congress passed hasn’t even been signed yet, but we are already seeing the results of this week’s bipartisan vote to stop the administration’s absurd policy of continuing to stockpile oil at record high prices,” Stupak said. “We have repeatedly asked the president to suspend deliveries to the SPR, but it wasn’t until Congress forced him that he took action."

"I hope that by injecting 70,000 additional barrels of oil a day into the market, consumers will soon see some relief at the pump. This is just the first step, and I will continue working to address high gas prices,” Stupak said.

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