Letter to the Editor: Response to Houston Chronicle’s Support of Crude Oil Export Ban Repeal
Allied Progress executive director Karl Frisch sent the following letter to the editor of the Houston Chronicle following the newspaper’s editorial endorsing repeal of the crude oil export ban.
Re: “Oil export debate: As political ads begin to air, a new study bolsters pro-export arguments,” editorial from Friday.
To the Editor:
While we may disagree with the Houston Chronicle on whether the crude oil export ban should be lifted, we strongly agree that the issue deserves serious debate from lawmakers.
In fact, one of our chief concerns with this issue has been big oil’s attempt to ram it through Congress without sufficient deliberation. Lifting this 40-year old policy with virtually no public debate is reckless and shortsighted, especially when the result of such a move could be devastating.
Over the past decade, we’ve cut oil imports to America by nearly half. As a result, we’re less dependent on foreign oil now than at any time in recent memory. Repealing this policy would roll the clock back on this progress and put our energy future at greater risk from terrorists like Isis by making us more dependent on Middle Eastern oil.
The study cited by the Chronicle’s editorial page makes no assurance that gas prices won’t increase if the ban is lifted. Senators may not have to worry about spending a few more cents per gallon at the pump, but small businesses and hardworking families would surely feel the pain.
Other experts estimate that repealing the crude oil export ban could increase gas prices by as much as 14 cents per-gallon, cost us thousands of U.S. jobs, and squander our hope of achieving American energy independence.
We shouldn’t rush this conversation. We owe the American people an extended, thoughtful, and thorough public debate on the merits of this policy. When that conversation happens, we are confident Congress will make the right move and leave the crude oil export ban in place.
Anything less is a risk we simply cannot afford to take.
Karl Frisch
Executive Director
Allied Progress