[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 41 (Thursday, March 13, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H1874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             NO STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVES TO BE RELEASED

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I urge Members to read the Wall Street 
Journal today wherein the Secretary of Energy, appointed by President 
Bush, assured Ali Naimi, the Saudi Minister, the man in charge of 
manipulating oil supply and heading up their negotiations with the 
cartel to control prices and to constrain supply, he assured him, Mr. 
Abraham, the Secretary of Energy, assured him the United States would 
not release oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help control 
the prices being gouged out of Americans by the Saudis and others.
  That is outrageous. I cannot believe that the Secretary of Energy 
appointed by President Bush has cut a deal with the Saudis that we will 
not release our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help the American 
consumers, to help keep our airlines from going bankrupt, to help keep 
our truckers from going bankrupt, and to help keep American families 
not being able to put food on the table so they can buy a tank of gas 
for their car. There is something wrong with that. I have sent the 
Secretary of Energy a letter to ask him to explain his position to the 
American people.

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