Today Rep. Todd Rokita responded to President Obama’s decision to open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. 

“The the timing of the President’s decision to open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the fact that he is only releasing 30 million barrels, strikes me as a cynical political gimmick designed to improve his collapsing poll numbers, not a serious effort to reduce gas prices,”Rokita said. “The Strategic Petroleum Reserve exists to help prevent national energy emergencies, and while four more years of the President’s energy policies may result in an energy crisis, the President’s poll numbers in no way qualify as one.”

“The solution to high gas prices is to produce more oil and gas here at home.  Buying oil from overseas and occasionally tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is the same tired effort Americans have had to live through for nearly thirty years.  It will not break the cycle of ever higher gas prices that are squeezing family budgets and destroying jobs.  If the President is serious about reducing gas prices, he should support the numerous bills the House has already approved to lower gas prices, create jobs, and rollback the red tape hampering new domestic energy production,”Rokita said. 

Yesterday the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2021, legislation designed to rollback the red tape and needless permitting delays that are preventing new energy exploration and production.  As a result, 30 million barrels of oil per month could be produced and more than 54,000 jobs could be created. 

On the state and local level, Rep. Rokita has been working with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce on the Red Tape Rollback initiative to repeal and reform unnecessary and overly burdensome federal regulations that cost Hoosiers jobs and hurt Indiana businesses.