PRINTER'S NO. 1345
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
236
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY STEFANO AND RESCHENTHALER, NOVEMBER 28, 2017
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
NOVEMBER 28, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Congress of the United States to pass H.R. 545, the
United States Commission on the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries Act, and requesting that President Donald
J. Trump sign H.R. 545 into law.
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has abundant
natural resources, including energy resources, and much of this
Commonwealth's economy, businesses and jobs are directly related
to these resources; and
WHEREAS, The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) has deliberately and routinely influenced the
price of oil by manipulating global supply, most recently seen
in 2014 when the price of oil fell as the cartel maintained high
production in response to growing United States shale
production; and
WHEREAS, Jobs in the Pennsylvania oil and gas sector fell
from 23,525 in 2014 to 13,925 in 2016, with more than 2,300 lost
in drilling and 6,200 lost in support services; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Labor and Industry rated oil and
gas extraction as a "hi-decline" industry, with employment
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falling 16.1% from the third quarter of 2015 to the third
quarter of 2016; and
WHEREAS, Rig counts in Pennsylvania fell from 56 in 2014 to
20 in 2016; and
WHEREAS, Since January 2015, 268 oil and gas companies have
filed for bankruptcy in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is an energy-producing state, where
crude oil production in 2016 fell 2,000 barrels per day (bpd) to
17,000 bpd, the first year-over-year decline since 1999; and
WHEREAS, Russian government-owned Rosneft could own a
significant stake in United States energy resources and
infrastructure in the Western Hemisphere and undermine American
energy security and national security if Venezuela's Petróleos
de Venezuela, S.A. fails to repay a $1.5 billion loan, for which
a major stake in Citgo was used as collateral; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
urge the Congress of the United States to pass H.R. 545, the
United States Commission on the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries Act, and request that President Donald J.
Trump sign H.R. 545 into law; and be it further
RESOLVED, That, if Congress does not pass H.R. 545, President
Trump take executive action to establish and appoint a one-year
commission of experts to investigate OPEC and make
recommendations to counter market manipulation and price
volatility caused by the cartel and State-owned oil companies,
and to help protect our nation's energy and national security;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the President of the United States, to the presiding officers of
each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
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Pennsylvania.
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