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Boyda's Statement on Administration's Decision to Release Oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) issued the following statement in response to an announcement by President Bush that oil would be released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR):

“President Bush ignored a request from Congress to release a fraction of the oil held in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Our request was an effort to bring at least a small measure of relief to families struggling to get by. The President announced a decision Wednesday to release oil from the SPR – after the request was made by oil companies affected by Hurricane Gustav.

“The President’s sudden change of heart came at the urging of oil companies. There is no question that we absolutely should do all we can to help those impacted by Hurricane Gustav. However, it is also Washington’s responsibility to act on behalf of all Americans in times of crisis. And, for many months, this nation has been in a time of crisis…a badly ailing economy, a volatile housing market, and soaring gas prices.

“This is another example of how the Administration has repeatedly ignored the needs of American families and kowtowed to Big Oil. Congress and the American people have been asking George W. Bush for months now to release a small portion of oil in the SPR. These pleas have fallen on deaf ears with the President. Now that Big Oil has made the request, he opens the spigot. This action demonstrates how the President favors the interest of multi-billion dollar corporations over middle class families.

“I have been working with a large, bipartisan group of Representatives to develop a comprehensive, common-sense energy bill. Our bill will provide sorely-needed relief for Kansas families. It will help create energy independence for America and millions of jobs to help stabilize our struggling economy.”