Citizen Gas & Oil Advisory Lobby

Douglas Grandt
(510) 432-1452

Rejected by the
Los Angeles Times
P.O. Box 6603
Lincoln, NE
68506-0603

Filing Big Bills Under Miscellaneous

Imagine having a few very large denomination bills. They might be filed in a filing cabinet.
Each of us would find a way to disguise where we hide our big billsif we have some.
However, for transparency and public access, legislative bills should not be hidden.
The Senates Offshore Production and Energizing National Security Act of 2015 has one bill
in particular that is contentious for variety of reasons. That bill lifts the 1973 ban on the
exportation of crude oil. This is the actual textsimple, clear and one sentence.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, to promote the efficient exploration,
production, storage, supply, and distribution of energy resources, any domestic crude
oil or condensate (other than crude oil stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) may
be exported without a Federal license to countries not subject to sanctions by the
United States.
Where do you suppose that provision is filed?
TITLE ITHE GULF OF MEXICO OFFSHORE ENERGY AND JOBS ACT OF 2015
TITLE IITHE ALASKA OUTER CONTINENTIAL SHELF LEASE SALE ACT
TITLE IIITHE SOUTHERN ATLANTIC ENERGY SECURITY ACT
TITLE IVTRIBAL RESILIENCE PROGRAM
TITLE VMISCELLANEOUS
It is Section 501. ACCESS TO MARKETS and it is in TITLE VMISCELLANEOUS.
Only the Senator who wrote this bill can tell us why, but it seems to be subterfuge to me.
Senators talk about "energy independence at the same time they have been salivating to
exploit the narrow window of opportunity they say we now have to expand America's
presence in the international market with our current abundance of oil.
For the past several months, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has
assembling over a hundred bills and another hundred-plus amendments into a so-called
broad, bi-partisan energy bill. This one sentence is arguably the most critical among
many which will be debated and voted on when the Senate returns from its August recess.

answerthecall@mac.com

The leadership of the Committee presumes that oil and gas should be the center-piece of a
comprehensive energy bill. What if oil production and refining were to experience
economic disaster from a continued low price perpetuated by the Saudis and OPEC?
We should anticipate our fuel supply to fall when production and refining companies can no
longer prop up negative cash flows with borrowed money. Who will fill the deficiency in
supply we need for our cars and trucks, jetsand heating fuel for homes in the winter?
The bills encourage export of oil at a time when domestic supplies are vulnerable.
The glut of stored petroleum that has accumulated over the past few years appears to be
creating energy independence. The oversupply has lulled us into a false sense of
independence, whereas dependence on petroleum has become an achilles heal.
Our dependency on petroleum has made us anything but energy independent.
The reality is, oil dependency precludes energy independence.
The world price of oil will likely remain low by the manipulation of supply by the Saudis.
They appear to have only one objective: to maximize market share and sell every last drop
of their petroleum reserves as quickly as possible. We now have a price that kills the
competition.
The low price is already driving American petroleum producers out of business because
they cannot make a profit. Who is snatching them up to keep the oil flowing?
Supply of petroleum feedstocks will gradually fail to meet the needs of the thirsty refineries.
Refinery production will begin to fall below minimum operating capacity, forcing them to be
shut down one at a time.
Where will you and I get our gasoline, diesel and kerosene when supply falls short?
When production and refining companies cant make a profit, will they act in the national or
public interest?
The Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 and the Offshore Production and Energizing
National Security Act of 2015 presume that exporting Americas glut of oil and gas into the
international market is in the national interest and pubic interest.
Congress has not even defined "national interest" or "public interest.
The Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 is touted as a broad, bi-partisan energy bill
by the Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in spite of
substantial rifts within the committee and party-line votes to exclude several key
progressive amendments.
Demand answers from your Representative and Senators.

answerthecall@mac.com