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LARSON PRAISES DECISION TO INCLUDE HOME HEATING OIL FUNDING

October 3, 2000
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 3, 2000

LARSON PRAISES DECISION TO INCLUDE HOME HEATING OIL FUNDINGWASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), today praised the decision to include $8 million for the maintenance of a Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve in the Conference Report on H.R. 4578, the Interior Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2001. Last week, language which would have authorized the reserve was stricken from the Energy and Water Appropriations Conference Report, H.R. 4733, which Larson later voted against.

"This is a simple bread and butter, kitchen table issue that the people of this country should expect their government to address," said Larson during today's debate. "There is no reason that people should have to choose between putting food on the their table and heating their homes. I want to thank the members of the Committee for working to ensure that we have one more tool to combat the rising price of oil and protect our constituents from winter supply shortages."

Larson was an original co-sponsor of H.R. 3608, the Home Heating Oil Price Stability Act, which would direct the Secretary of Energy to create a fuel oil reserve containing 6.7 million barrels of home heating oil. The proposed legislation would give the President the authority to release to oil when prices rose sharply, if there were a shortage, or under extreme winter weather conditions. This provision was ultimately included in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Reauthorization bill, H.R. 2884, which passed the House on April 12, but has not been acted upon by the Senate.

In July, President Clinton decided to create the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve under his executive authority and the Department of Energy announced that one million barrels of home heating oil will be stored in New Haven, Connecticut.

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