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Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement today after the House Republicans defeated H.R. 6578, Consumer Energy Supply Act. H.R. 6578 would have released nearly 10 percent of the oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help lower gas prices. This marks the second time in less than a week that the House Republicans have joined together to defeat a measure that would help lower prices at the pump. The legislation, which received 268 to 157 votes, did not receive the two-thirds majority necessary to pass the bill on suspension.
“For the second time in less than a week, the House Republicans refused to put aside their partisanship and defeated a measure that would have immediately lowered gas prices. While millions of Americans are struggling to fill up their tanks to get to work or to take their kids to school, the House Republicans continue to play political games by defeating measures that would help lower prices at the pump. Today’s bill would have released 10 percent of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) into the market. It’s ironic that the Republicans defeated this measure considering President Bush released oil from the SPR in 2005 and his father released oil in 1991, which caused gas prices to drop dramatically and rapidly. For months, I have listened to my Republican colleagues say that we need to explore every possible option to lower gas prices and to increase oil production. But when given a chance to make a real difference, they were more interested in playing political games than providing Americans with relief from high gas prices. If the Republicans in Congress were serious about lowering gas prices and providing immediate relief to the American people, then they would have voted for today’s bill.”
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