White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre handed over the daily briefing to National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby Wednesday afternoon. Kirby was asked by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy how long President Joe Biden can deplete the Strategic Petroleum Reserve before it becomes a national security problem. Kirby claimed he didn't know the current inventory and passed the question off to Biden's energy advisors.
DOOCY: "How much lower can we let the strategic petroleum reserves get before that becomes a problem?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 15, 2022
Kirby doesn't give a firm answer. pic.twitter.com/MfNXn5jREf
President Joe Biden has tapped into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve a number of times, claiming doing so would decrease prices at the pump. As a result, the reserve is at its lowest levels since 1987 and gas prices hit $5 per gallon on average late last week.
"The amount of crude oil in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) dropped by 5 million barrels in the week to May 13, data from the U.S. Department of Energy showed. Stockpiles in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell to 538 million barrels, the lowest since 1987," Reuters reported in May.
During his visit with reporters, Kirby also praised the Saudi government for their "leadership" on oil production as gas prices across the country barrel towards a $6 per gallon average.
DOOCY: "How is it that you guys have determined that it's in the US national security interest to ask Saudi Arabia to drill more oil instead of just letting oil companies drill more here in the US?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 15, 2022
KIRBY: "The oil production issue is a global issue." pic.twitter.com/B0nlSXsViX
Meanwhile, after cutting off millions of acres for drilling and infusing vast uncertainty into the industry by ripping away the Keystone XL pipeline, the White House is calling oil companies unpatriotic for not "doing more" to bring down prices.
KJP calls on oil companies to "be patriots" and lower gas prices. pic.twitter.com/YBwHdMhROj
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 15, 2022