(Host) The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of Congressman Peter Welch’s plan to suspend shipments to the national strategic petroleum reserve.
The House voted 385 to 25 in support of the bill. Earlier in the day the Senate passed the bill in a vote of 97 to one. Both Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders voted yes on the measure.
Speaking on the House floor, Welch said the bill could leave more oil to available to the consumer market, and this small step has worked in the past:
(Welch) "When it has been taken has proven to actually has a direct and immediate impact on lowering the price of gas at the pump from 5 cents to 25 cents a gallon."
(Host) The bill received strong bipartisan support, but President Bush has said he doesn’t support the idea. The vote doesn’t compel Bush to act because the measures differ slightly and would need to be reconciled before final congressional approval.
Welch said in a statement after the vote that congress needs to take immediate action to lower gas prices and said the president needs to join the long-term agenda of independence from big oil.