Washington, DC – Today Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) joined Speaker Pelosi and others in calling on President Bush to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which would provide immediate relief to consumers.

“In Oregon and across the county, people are struggling with sky-rocketing gas prices,” said Congressman Blumenauer. “Presidents before Bush have responded to energy crises by releasing oil from the reserve. After years of promoting harmful energy policies that have sent gas prices soaring, the least this president can do is provide relief by opening the reserve.”

In May, Blumenauer sponsored legislation that forced the president to stop filling the SPR at a rate of 70,000 barrels a day. The SPR currently holds well over 700 million barrels of oil and is almost full. The president has broad authority to deploy oil from the reserves during times of national emergencies, and withdrawals from the SPR have been made three times by other presidents.