Why Is Congress Nuking Northeast Gasoline Reserve As Part Of Bill To Avert Shutdown?

On Sunday night, Congressional negotiators revealed a bill which will fund key parts of the government through the rest of the fiscal year which began in October.

The 1,050-page legislation sets a discretionary spending level of $1.66 trillion for FY24, which comes just days after lawmakers passed the fourth stopgap measure since Oct. 1 to keep the government funded a bit longer.

According to Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer’s office, the bill “maintains the aggressive investments Democrats secured for American families, American workers, and America’s national defense.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement that “House Republicans secured key conservative policy victories, rejected left-wing proposals, and imposed sharp cuts to agencies and programs critical to the President Biden’s agenda.”

But what neither of them mention is that the bill also nukes the entire Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve – which, at roughly 1 million barrels, is too small to matter on a national scale – but which could serve as a critical cache of energy in the event of another major disaster.

The entire US 1 million barrel Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve will be required to be sold and closed in fiscal 2024, according to bill text of government funding legislation unveiled Sunday

Did China write this bill? https://t.co/d8qLXZ5Gi6 pic.twitter.com/8B2flG0CZw

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 3, 2024

The Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve was established in 2014 following Hurricane Sandy, which cut through refineries and fuel terminals resulting in fuel shortages in some parts of the northeast. The rationale for draining it is that it “does not have the operational functionality that was envisioned post-Sandy,” former President Trump said of the supply in 2017.

In particular, the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve, created after Hurricane Sandy interrupted supplies.

This will make the northeast again vulnerable to disruptions from hurricanes or another cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline.

— Russell Brown (@DrRussellBrown) March 3, 2024

What’s more, once the reserve is drained, the bill mandates that the entire thing will be shut down.

Not just sell it, they then have to close the entire reserve infrastructure it looks like. pic.twitter.com/Rw7txW07rS

— Tom Fisher (@TomFisher37) March 3, 2024

Then, the bill makes it even harder to establish regional reserves in the future – requiring several new layers of red tape. 

Is the government trying to cause another disaster? This supply is so small but crucial for its intended purpose that we’re in ‘just why?’ territory.

a diesel engine tow will be expensive when your crappy EV is stranded with no charge.

— Meyers.™ (@Meyers__MD) March 3, 2024

Whelp, if this was completed and there was a regional level issue there wouldn’t be any Diesel available. Double whammy.

— Tom Fisher (@TomFisher37) March 3, 2024

irresponsible at best. No one who inserted that should be in government.

“Upon the completion of such sale, the Secretary
14 shall carry out the closure of the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve”

— John Barton (@bartjw) March 3, 2024

And the SPR is currently the lowest it’s been since the mid 80s pic.twitter.com/Zr0p9ypTWZ

— Tründi Molisher (@trundimolisher) March 3, 2024