Rep. Peltola skips out on vote to protect Strategic Petroleum Reserve

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In Juneau, when a state lawmaker doesn’t want to take a vote, she’ll wander down the hill to buy a cup of coffee at Heritage Coffee Company or The Rookery. A trusted aide will call her when the vote is over.

In Washington, D.C. today, Rep. Mary Peltola did the equivalent of a coffee run: She just didn’t vote on the bill that would de-politicize the use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a bill that is intended to ensure national security.

On Thursday and early Friday, Peltola did vote yea or nay on dozens of amendments to H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Response Act. But for the final passage, she was a no-show. All Democrats present voted against the bill; Peltola was one of eight representatives who did not vote.

H.R. 21 would prohibit the president and the Department of Energy from tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve without having a plan in place to increase oil and gas leasing on federal lands — unless there is a dire emergency and need for immediate release of oil for American security.

The measure was prompted by the Biden Administration’s quick drawdown of the nation’s critical oil reserves at the same time President Joe Biden has declared a war on domestic oil production. Biden, over the past 18 months, has released the largest amount of crude oil from the emergency reserves of any president in history. And he did it leading up to the 2022 elections, which made his actions look political.

It’s unknown why Peltola chose to not vote. She issued no statement. It may be that she is not supporting oil development, but instead is supporting her husband Gene Peltola’s new carbon trading company.

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, an Oregon Democrat and one of the eight who did not vote, said she didn’t because “I do not support opening up more federal lands and waters for drilling of fossil fuels, as my Republican colleagues are promoting.”

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, also withheld her vote without explanation, but Democrat Emmanuel Cleaver of Missouri wrote, “H.R. 21 is just another #BigOilGiveaway, paid for by American families. I’m voting NO!” In fact, he did not vote.

All Democrats who did vote were no votes, and the bill passed, 221-205.

In the Senate, Republican Sens. Jim Risch of Idaho and John Barrasso of Wyoming, who is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, introduced the Strategic Production Response Act, which has a difficult path in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

“President Biden depleted America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to attempt to fix his self-made crisis,” Risch said. “The Strategic Production Response Act will ensure the SPR is used correctly, prevent any president from misusing the reserve, and prioritize our domestic energy supply.”

“America is stronger and safer when we are energy independent,” Barrasso said. “The Biden administration agenda is to choke off energy development on federal land. Our legislation will prevent President Biden from raiding the SPR for political purposes without boosting American oil production. It’s time to work together to lower prices for Wyoming families, unleash American energy, and strengthen our national security.” 

Cosponsors of the Senate’s version of the SPR Act are Republican Senators Mike Lee (Utah), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), John Hoeven (N.D.), James Lankford (Okla.), Bill Cassidy (La.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.), Roger Marshall (Kansas), and Kevin Cramer (N.D.).

Read the text of the Senate’s SPR Act here.

26 COMMENTS

  1. There she goes serving Alaska by not being there. Smooth.

    Must have been a conflict with her grifting deals.

  2. This is the lone representative of a oil-rich state and she skips out on a vote to protect the Petroleum Reserve.
    Let’s also look at her statement about lying on her resume’ being a “Mental Glitch”…
    I bet I won’t be able to find anyone in Alaska that will say that they voted for her, or The Resident Vegetable at the Waffle House.

  3. I hope the fuel prices in the bush double. You get what you vote for. The strategic petroleum reserve should never have been touched just so Biden could feel good about what he caused.

      • Yes I agree but the people who vote for this type of government should lead by example and be the first in line for the results. The bush voted for her so they should pay for it.

    • People in the bush don’t need fuel… they are living off the grid and don’t need the government or civilization

  4. Looks like she’s fitting-in nicely in the swamp … working overtime on her disappointment efforts to her constituents … probably(?), going to show up for a spot-bonus and/or pay raise by the Lobbyists … currently working on stirring up chaos and controversy … laughing all the way to the Bank!

  5. What happened to the liberal lefty looseys who supported “The granny fish lady boat captain from Bethel with the nice smile” ? Why arent they here backing their no show candidate who is too busy with hubby scheming up more legislation that will fill their pockets instead of Alaskan jobs and economic growth for the state she is supposed to represent? Sure doesnt take long to show their true colors! Would have helped to have known more about her Bureaucrat Hubbies interest prior to the election but that seems to have been a well kept secret as she was just known as the captain from Bethel with many husbands. I dont suppose we will ever hear from her supporters until she actually does something beneficial for Alaska which is highly unlikely at this point

  6. In one of my comments before the election I wrote Gene Peltola was the one that would benefit the most from this. But my comments were not added, I guess they didn’t meet the moderation standards. It’s known out western Alaska about Gene Peltola. But this proves all you got to do is take some great pictures of you looking homey in nice sweater big smile, calling you grandma. Don’t have a in person debate(s) with your opponents, keep your mouth shut like granny Peltola did and you will win. Oh keep your husband’s new side hustle on the down low until after the election. P

  7. This Republican HR Bill will not get through the Senate, after voting on all of the amendments by Democrats that failed, it was pointless to vote on the final party line vote

  8. Maybe she decided NOT to open an office in Anchorage (and probably all other areas of Alaska), so she can continue to be “unavailable” to constituent comments, critiques, and requests for assistance. Her recent expensive mailing that was sent to all Alaskans tells us that constituent services, etc. are handled at her Washington, DC office. BUT if you call that number, you must do so according to the East coast time zone AND then forget about getting a pertinent respond or any action.

    ALASKA DESERVES BETTER THAN MAY PELTOLA AND HER CURRENT HUSBAND.

  9. All the signs are there as to why she missed the vote.

    Her absence tells the story and it can’t be said that he voted against the SPR.

    Grasshoppa has learned much!

  10. Anyone who believed that she was in favor of anything other than native rights and the fisheries and voted for her is well……. probably still in denial. Time will prove that she’ll be nothing like her predecessor, like she said she would. Fools.

  11. If the primary system comes back from the dead in 2023 and ranked choice voting is done with in Alaska, so is Peltola in 2024.

  12. Next election her opponents won’t use any of this. They will go easy like Republicans always do. Granny Peltola will dust off the old campaign photos from 2022 of her smiling with a caption saying carrying on Don Young’s legacy, stamp 2024 on them. Then Regurgitate some line about how she’s representing all Alaskans etc.

  13. She cant be seen supporting oil when she and her husband are in the middle of building a carbon credit business

    • Response to LorenAndrews comments, so apparently all them piles of Snow machines scrap Quads , and Sunkin Skiffs littering the dumps and River banks in Rural Alaska all are Solar and Wind Powered lol, Not to mention the Millions of tons of discarded lead acid Batteries polluting the environment that are piled up against Buildings and elsewhere in every community in Western Alaska. Lol What total Hypocrisy. With out American Made Tools , Machines and Firearms, and can foods, Most who live in rural Alaska would be living elsewhere. Or more than likely not at all…yes Very few (probably) less than 1 percent live lugit off grid Lives, they haven’t been for nearly a century. But if you watch these shows below zero and others they act as if their surviving like their Elders did 100 years ago, all a complete and total Joke, the big lies they don’t talk about in Bush Alaska, been there and seen it all many times over with my own eyes, oh yes many talk green energy and off grid, yet many( not all) are the worst polluters on the planet, I don’t see many recycle bins out in rural Alaska, but they sure know how to fly the stuff in on American Made Airplanes,, Total Fruads most of them, yet they play the Cards of living off grid and self sufficient , while they hop on their Brand New Ski doos with Remington Firearms and all the latest Cold weather gear and head off into the wild blue yonder of Alaska, Total Frauds ! Other then a very few!, but none entirely are self sufficient , yes I say NONE! Oh did I mention the thousands of empty Barrels that litter the river banks aswell, some one should really do a documentary of what is the truth about how things really are in many parts of rural Alaska, just saying what I’ve seen with my own eyes !

  14. This is exactly what happens when Dumb people who don’t pay attention to what’s going on around them go out and Vote, She has absolutely no business being in any political or power position. Totally ridiculous!

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