West coast emergency oil reserve sparks pushback

(CNN)– Two Senate Democrats are asking the Trump Administration to end efforts to build a west coast emergency oil reserve.

That’s at least until it has followed the process laid out by Congress.

Senators Alex Padilla and Patty Murray wrote to Energy Secretary Chris Wright Wednesday, June 17.

They say building a west coast strategic petroleum reserve this fiscal year would defy the law and go around congressional authority.

The proposed reserve would be an extension of the federal strategic petroleum reserve — that’s the nation’s emergency oil stockpile that’s been depleted by back-to-back wars involving Russia and now Iran.