House GOP seeks new restrictions on use of US oil stockpile

By MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the second time this month, House Republicans have advanced a measure to restrict presidential use of the nation’s emergency oil stockpile — a proposal that has already drawn a White House veto threat. A GOP bill approved Friday would require the government to offset any non-emergency withdrawals from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve with new drilling on public lands and oceans. Republicans accuse President Joe Biden of abusing the reserve for political reasons to keep gas prices low, while Biden says tapping the reserve was needed last year in response to a ban on Russian oil imports following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The bill was approved on a near party-line vote. It now heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it is expected to languish.