[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4004-S4005]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FOREIGN OIL CONSUMED BY THE UNITED STATES. HERE'S THE WEEKLY BOX SCORE

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the American Petroleum Institute reports

[[Page S4005]]

that for the week ending April 19, the United States imported 7,300,000 
barrels of oil each day--712,000 barrels fewer than the 8,012,000 
barrels imported during the same period a year ago.
  This is one of those rare weeks when less oil was imported in 1996 
than in 1995. Nevertheless, as the box scores I regularly insert into 
the Record indicate, the trend is steadily upward.
  Americans now rely on foreign oil for more than 50 percent of their 
needs, and there is no sign that this upward trend will abate. Before 
the Persian Gulf war, the United States obtained 45 percent of its oil 
supply from foreign countries. During the Arab oil embargo in the 
1970's, foreign oil accounted for only 35 percent of America's oil 
supply.
  Anybody interested in restoring domestic production of oil--by U.S. 
producers using American workers? Politicians had better ponder the 
calamity that will result if and when foreign producers shut off our 
supply, or double the already enormous cost of imported oil flowing 
into the United States.

                          ____________________