Rep. Steve Scalise (La.), a key Republican House leader, put forward details on which bills Republicans are expected to take up first. Among the 11 initial bills are two related to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR):
• One would prohibit the release of oil from the reserve without a plan to increase oil and gas production on federal lands
• The other would prohibit the sale of SPR oil to entities owned, controlled or influenced by the Chinese Communist party
• These bills are unlikely to make it past a Democratic-led Senate and White House, but are important opening messages for the GOP.