WASHINGTON, DC: Today, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 22, the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act. This legislation prevents the future sale of crude oil from the United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve by the Biden Administration to China.  This bill is the first piece of legislation that Congresswoman Kiggans has cosponsored following her swearing in on January 7.

“I’m pleased that the first bill I’ve cosponsored will strengthen our national security” said Congresswoman Kiggans.  “There is no reason we should aid a country whose rapid military buildup, rampant intellectual property theft, and increasing economic warfare are aimed squarely at us; specifically, at our Armed Forces.  Americans are still feeling the pain of historically high gas prices and depleting our nation’s emergency fuel supply is the last thing that we should be doing.  This legislation provides a much-needed check against the Biden Administration’s shortsighted and reckless actions.”

BACKGROUND

Under the Biden Administration, the United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has dropped to its lowest level since 1983: 375.1 million barrels. Over the past two years, President Biden has released millions of barrels from the SPR several times in an attempt to alleviate historically high gas prices.  Additionally, the Administration has sold barrels abroad in an effort to increase the global oil supply. Unipec America (China International United Petroleum & Chemicals Co., Ltd.), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of  Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation), a Chinese-state owned oil and gas refinery group, was awarded nearly 1 million barrels in these sales.

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