The Need To Use The Defense Production Act To Reduce Gas Prices And Other Updates

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this message finds you safe and well. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact my office by calling (847) 413-1959, emailing me at [email protected], or sending a message through my website at https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/contact/email. For more frequent updates, I encourage you to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Renewing My Call For President Biden To Invoke The Defense Production Act To Reduce Gas Prices

This week, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced it would be cutting oil and gas production by two million barrels per day, or about two percent of the global supply, which will increase global crude oil costs, and with it, the price of gas. In response, I once again called for President Biden not only to press OPEC to reverse this decision, but also to eliminate the oil refining bottlenecks that have been contributing to high gas prices, by any means necessary, including invoking the Defense Production Act (DPA) to temporarily reopen refineries. While the OPEC production cut will increase global crude oil prices, the most recent spike in gas prices is in large part a product of a lack of refining capacity as oil demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels but global refining capacity has declined by 3,000,000 barrels per day. U.S. capacity alone has declined by 1,000,000 barrels per day as refineries closed at an unprecedented rate during the pandemic.

I first called on President Biden to use his DPA powers to address the refinery shortage during the spring gas price spike and later that month, I introduced legislation urging him to do so with Reps. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), and Sharice Davids (KS-03), in order “to provide targeted technical and financial assistance to restart certain idled refineries for a limited time” so that we could eliminate supply bottlenecks and reduce gas prices. Though prices fell over the summer, OPEC’s production cuts place new pressure on prices at a time when refinery capacity has still not recovered. President Biden has a responsibility to use all tools at his disposal to bring down energy costs and that needs to include using the DPA to increase our oil refining capacity.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi joined Fox News’ Bret Baier to discuss OPEC’s decision to limit oil production and the need for the Biden Administration to invoke the Defense Production Act (click the photo above for full interview).

Update on Canadian Pacific – Kansas City Southern Railroad Merger

On Tuesday, Senator Dick Durbin and I met with local mayors in the district to discuss the dangerous community safety and traffic impacts of the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railway companies. Throughout the deliberations over the merger by the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the federal agency that regulates transportation systems including railways, I’ve been a leading advocate for the coalition of mayors and local leaders opposed to the merger. At recent hearings held by the STB in Itasca and Washington, D.C, I have spoken out against the proposal’s risks to our communities. After this week’s meeting with Senator Durbin and the rest of our coalition, the message is clear: the STB must conduct and release a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the greater Chicago area before moving forward with any plans.

Chicago is by far the largest urban area impacted by this potential merger, with dozens of communities, the Metra rail system, and millions of people affected by any change to the train schedule or the number of trains that will use the tracks each day. In our area, the risks are especially greatest, as the increased volume of trains, many of which are nearly 2 miles in length, will lead to more blocked crossings, potentially preventing first responders from getting to emergencies in time. Before any final decision is made related to the CP-KCS merger, this supplemental EIS is crucial to ensuring the safety of our communities in the future.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi, Sen. Dick Durbin, and local mayors address updates to the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern Railroad merger.

The Dangers of a Nationwide Abortion Ban

Last month, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the half-a-century precedent of Roe v. Wade, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) made headlines when he announced his plan to introduce a federal nationwide abortion ban, stripping American women of their reproductive freedom. Unfortunately, Senator Graham doesn’t stand alone in his push to deny American women the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions, as many prominent Republicans across the nation, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-C.A.), voiced their support for the measure too. I strongly oppose this legislation and was grateful for the opportunity to participate in last week’s hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform as we exposed the potential dangers and consequences of such a ban.

During my question time, I discussed the issue with expert witnesses, including Dr. Bhavik Kumar of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, and Dr. Nisha Verma, a fellow at Physicians for Reproductive Health, and their analyses were deeply troubling. Dr. Kumar shared in his testimony that a nationwide ban on abortion could lead to a 21 percent increase in pregnancy-related deaths overall, including a 33 percent increase among Black women, a population that already faces the highest maternal mortality rates in the country.

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s misguided decision, we have already seen a dramatic increase in abortion bans and restrictions on women’s reproductive freedoms, with 17 states implementing such bans, often with no exceptions for rape or incest. It is possible another nine states could soon take action on similar bans and restrictions in the near future, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights organization. Women seeking medical help from these states already travel hundreds of miles in some cases to receive treatment, including right here to our home state of Illinois. A nationwide ban would leave women with no options other than to seek unsafe and illegal abortions which could have deadly consequences. That’s why I will continue to do everything in my power to block that legislation from ever becoming law while fighting to expand reproductive freedom and access to reproductive health care.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi questions witnesses at the Oversight Committee hearing on the potential impact of a nationwide abortion ban (click the photo above to see the Congressman’s full question line).

Stay Updated Through My Social Media Accounts

The best way to stay up to date on these issues beyond our newsletter is through my social media accounts, which I update multiple times each day. You can follow my Twitter here, my Facebook page here, and my Instagram here. Thank you for staying engaged in our community.

Warm Regards,

P.S. I always enjoy hearing from constituents, so feel free to comment and share my social media posts! Here are the links: Twitter here, Facebook page here, and Instagram here.