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CONTACT: Amy Auth
202-225-2071

This afternoon, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.-5) took yet another step toward reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and helping alleviate the high price at the pump by voting for H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act.

Despite the nation’s increasing demand for fuel, the United States has not built an oil refinery in over 30 years. Total capacity of current refineries is roughly 17 million barrels per day while demand is nearly 21 million barrels per day. “We cannot continue the trend of using more refined petroleum products than we can produce,” said Foxx. “It is vital that we move away from our dependence on foreign sources to fill this gap.”

Foxx noted that our national security is threatened by a growing reliance on these foreign sources. “It is in our best interest to increase refinery capacity for gasoline, heating oil, and diesel fuel in the United States. Today’s long-overdue and environmentally sound legislation helps remove the red tape preventing the construction of new refineries,” she said.

The bill will help reduce dependence on imports by:

• Establishing a federal coordinator to bring together all U.S. government agencies responsible for issuing permits and to help the permitting process move as quickly as possible;
• Bringing all federal and state agencies together in a coordinated capacity to make it easier to add fuel refining capacity;
• Eliminating unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy in the permitting process;
• Directing the President to suggest at least three closed military bases as suitable sites for new refineries.

“By increasing our refinery capacity, we can increase gasoline supplies, which will help bring down the price at the pump. I will continue to support energy measures such as the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act to help relieve the financial burden high energy prices are placing on the citizens of the 5th District.”

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