Just saw that the house just rejected this.
Looks like it was one more reason for technical weakness in crude, along with the vote to limit speculation and the oil storage company’s futures and cash market issues and bankruptcy.
White House threatens veto on bill to sell govt oil
by Tabassum Zakaria
(Reuters) The White House on Thursday threatened to veto legislation that would require the government to sell 10 percent of the oil in the nation’s emergency petroleum stockpile.
The House of Representatives was expected to vote on the bill later on Thursday. Democrats hope the legislation will lower oil prices by putting on the market more of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s light, sweet crude that is sought by refiners.
“Drawing down our emergency oil reserve in the absence of a severe energy disruption is counter to the purpose of the SPR, and offers the nation a quick fix instead of much needed long-term, responsible energy solutions,” the White House said in a statement.
The bill would require the government to sell 10 percent of the emergency stockpile’s oil, or 70 million barrels, in the open market. About 40 percent of the stockpile’s oil is light sweet crude.
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