The president is misusing emergency powers

With many consumers gauging the health of the economy through gas prices, the fluctuating costs of filling up the tank have made consumers wary of recent policies imposed by the White House. High gas prices directly correlate with consumer confidence, as they limit consumers’ spending power in the market and, according to Investopedia, restrict job growth. 

While his intentions remain questionable, President Joe Biden has made efforts to counteract the surging gas prices. Yet, counter to the pleas of the Biden administration, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the largest group of crude oil producers, recently decided to cut its oil production by 2 million barrels per day to make its output less than 42 million per day, according to the BBC. 

Due to the unknown stability of the economy, OPEC came to the decision to slash production quotas in an attempt to keep the cost of oil from plummeting, according to a statement by the Saudi Arabian government.

Many believe, however, that this act is giving way to the illegal practice of price-fixing, in which foreign competitors agree on raising oil costs, or in this case cutting the production of it, in order to raise the price of crude oil, which is currently $80 per barrel and down from $120 in June. 

The White House has called the timing of OPEC’s decision “shortsighted” considering how the global economy is still trying to recover from the effects of the coronavirus and the war in Ukraine. 

 As a result of OPEC’s production cut, the Biden administration was left scrambling, working toward a solution that would reduce the cost of gas for American consumers. Biden concluded that tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was the key to lowering gas prices at the pump. 

According to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, the president can authorize the use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve whenever he sees fit. However, the reserve is meant to be utilized in the event of an emergency only. 

Historically, the SPR has been used in events such as the Gulf War and Hurricane Katrina. However, Biden’s initiative of tapping into the SPR is seen as a last resort to counteract previous policies gone bad – such as his rush to renewable energy. 

The SPR reached its highest volume in 2010 when the reserve contained 726.6 million barrels of petroleum. Using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to reverse the effect of soaring gas prices is going to deplete the resources of this national security tool.

According to Forbes, Biden’s initiative will push the SPR to an all-time low since 1984, with only 450 million barrels of petroleum left in the reserve. 

Republican politicians and lawmakers are criticizing Biden’s decision, claiming that he is leveraging the SPR to bolster his political standing. The Biden administration may be trying to fight against the high costs consumers face at the gas station, but these actions are ultimately viewed as a strategic move to secure votes for the Democratic Party in the weeks before midterm elections. 

OPEC members cutting their production target is a decision that will have consequential effects on the economy and will contribute to inflation. However, Biden’s response to OPEC’s decision is not only rushed but is also counterproductive to his green initiative. 

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s intended purpose is to provide oil security to countries during times of need. The Biden administration is misusing its power over the SPR and is wrongfully delegating the reserve’s resources.

Daniel is an opinion writer for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter

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