Perry pick has doubts on selling reserve oil

Dan Brouillette, Rick Perry’ s pick to be his No .2 at the Department of Energy, questioned the Trump administration’s proposal to sell off oil from the Reserve to help balance the federal budget during a Senate hearing late last week.

“The SPR was setup for a very specific reason ... and the definitions and conditions under which it can be sold are very clearly defined ,” he said .“I am not familiar with the discussion the administration has had, but as a general matter I would standby the federal law.”

There serve was created after the Arab oil embargo of the 1970 stop rote ct the nation against major supply disruptions, and today it holds about 700 million barrels of oil. Thetechnical break throughs that set off the shale oil boom and restored the U.S. as one of the world’ s top oilspurred a debate about whether there serve is still needed.

Under federal law, the president can only sell oil from there serve if “requiredby a severe energy supply interruption or by obligations of the United States under the program .”

Brouillette, a San Antonio lobbyist with the military banking andUSA A, was nominated by President Donald Trump this month to be deputy secretary of energy. In an appearance before the SenateEnergy and Natural Resources on Thursday, Democrats and Republicans repeatedly pressed Brouillette to respond to Trump’ s budget, which calls for a variety of cut sat the Department of Energy.

Asked about Trump’ s proposal to eliminate a federal program that helps fund commercial clean energy projects, Brouillette, said :“I was not part of the budget process. But at the end of the day Congress will work, both the House and the Senate, to determine the final and appropriatethese programs .”