Vasquez Rejects Increasing Your Gas Prices

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Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) voted against legislation that would force Americans to pay higher gas prices and introduced two amendments to the bill to support American workers and energy independence.

Vasquez introduced two amendments to H.R. 21, the “Strategic Production Response Act.” The amendments support New Mexican workers by requiring the Department of Energy (DOE) to stock the SPR with American-produced energy and track the number of unused permits on public lands. Republicans blocked the amendments, ultimately failing to support American workers and domestic production.

The bill, H.R. 21, prohibits the DOE from releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) until the DOE completes a lengthy paperwork process to increase drilling on public lands. The SPR is designed to help American families in emergencies, and this bill would ultimately shift the cost to Americans. 

“New Mexicans are facing increased costs in heating bills and groceries. This legislation would only worsen that. Under H.R. 21, constituents across NM-02 would have continued to pay high prices at the pump,” said Vasquez. “I’m focused on lowering costs and providing investments in our economy, something I heard loud and clear from constituents during my trip across the district last week. This bill falls short.”

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Rep. Vasquez's full remarks, as delivered, are below: 

I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Response Act. 

My amendment removes the needless, burdensome paperwork for federal agencies and simply says that the Department of Energy should seek to stock the Strategy Petroleum Reserve with American-produced energy. 

This will help Americans, including my constituents, who commute hours, countless hours every day across our expansive state and to save money at the gas pump.

If the goal is to support American workers, then my amendment to prioritize existing American production is the answer. 

If the point of this legislation is to support American workers in the energy industry, many of whom are in the Permian Basin in New Mexico, then I urge my colleagues to support my amendment. 

Pass my amendment to prioritize domestic energy over reliance on foreign nations because the reality is that the bill before us today adds more government bureaucracy and more needless paperwork. 

Why would we pass a bill that would delay using the SPR in the times of our country’s greatest need? The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a critical tool to ensure that Americans don’t pay for these global energy shocks. 

H.R. 21 is a bill to make Americans pay higher prices for longer. 

This doesn’t make sense.

Last week, as I mentioned, I was in my district traveling across the vast district almost the size of the state of Pennsylvania, and I heard directly from my constituents, from energy officials, from folks that are in Carlsbad and Hobbs, and I know what it means to support American workers. 

Mr. Chair, if we want our workers we should pass my amendment to guarantee that the first place that we turn to restock the SPR is right here in the United States without the needless paperwork. 

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and I yield back. Thank you.