Strategic Petroleum Supplies Act
Introduced February 13, 2012
Latest action (Feb 13, 2012): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Plain-Language Summary (cached)
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a large government-owned stockpile of crude oil stored in underground salt caverns along the Gulf Coast. It was created to help the United States respond to major disruptions in oil supply. The federal government has the authority to sell oil from this reserve under certain circumstances. This bill would prevent the executive branch from authorizing any sales of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until all necessary federal permits for the Keystone XL pipeline have been approved and issued. The Keystone XL project referenced in the bill refers to a specific pipeline application submitted in September 2008, which would have transported oil from Canada to refineries in the United States. Essentially, the bill ties access to the reserve to progress on that pipeline approval. There is one exception built into the bill: the restriction would not apply if the United States is required to release oil from the reserve to fulfill its obligations under an international energy agreement. This refers to commitments made through the International Energy Agency, which coordinates emergency oil sharing among member countries during global supply crises. Outside of that specific circumstance, sales from the reserve would be on hold until the pipeline permitting conditions are met.
How Each Side Frames It
How the Left Frames It
Left-leaning commentators and lawmakers would likely criticize this bill as a politically motivated attempt to hold energy security hostage to a single pipeline project, arguing that tying SPR releases to Keystone XL approval undermines the government's flexibility to respond to genuine supply emergencies and price spikes that hurt working families. They would emphasize that the Keystone XL pipeline was controversial for its environmental risks, including potential oil spills and its role in expanding tar sands extraction, and that blocking SPR sales to force its approval represents a giveaway to fossil fuel interests at the expense of broader public welfare. Progressive voices would also argue the bill contradicts sound energy policy by prioritizing one company's infrastructure project over the nation's ability to manage strategic reserves in response to market disruptions.
How the Right Frames It
Right-leaning commentators and lawmakers would frame this bill as a necessary check on executive overreach, arguing that the Obama administration's repeated delays and ultimate rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline were politically driven decisions that undermined domestic energy production and North American energy security. They would contend that restricting SPR sales creates leverage to compel approval of a shovel-ready infrastructure project that would create jobs, reduce dependence on oil from hostile nations, and lower energy costs for American consumers. Conservative voices would also argue that the SPR should not be used as a political or economic management tool by the executive branch, and that linking its use to a concrete energy infrastructure benchmark is a reasonable way to enforce a more comprehensive and serious national energy strategy.
AI-synthesized based on each side's publicly stated policy priorities — not quotes from specific outlets.
Who's Backing This Bill
Sponsored by Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Cosponsoring Senators
The dense, legislative-language version of this bill's summary.