Which of the following bills would be most effective in keeping American oil in America?

Question

• S. 2275, Oil Supply Improvement Act - provides that no crude transported over the pipeline right of way be exported.

• H.R. 4007 - reimposes the prohibition on the export of Alaska North Slope crude oil.

• H.R. 4017 - to suspend exports of ANS crude until the President determines the domestic economy is not experiencing a shortage of foreign crude oil or an inflationary impact due to the demand for foreign crude.

Answer 1

What is your goal here? Do you think that banning the export of American oil is actually going to make any difference at all other than slightly raising the net cost of crude?

It isn't as if American crude costs Americans less than foreign crude - we pay the world price on domestic as well as imported oil.

More generally, this kind of restraint of trade does a great deal of damage. It is the kind of action that made the Great Depression "great":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot-Hawle...

It is also the kind of action that causes millions to starve:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/busine...

That being the case, I'd go for H.R. 4017 as being the least effective. As a politician, you can vote for H.R. 4017 to look like you are doing something, while not doing too much damage, as the President can immediately reinstate exports "for the good of the economy".