Now, why would they want to "...consolidate previous failed attempts"? :~(

No real solutions here; just bandaids, blaming, and blustering. How long will it be before Congress gets the message that WE are serious about these energy problems? Just like everything else, our legislative branch of government talks forever and all the while accomplishing nothing until it's a Crisis? Then they look to their typical scapegoats instead of looking towards themselves.

Good grief.

Suspending oil shipments to the strategic reserve is the only part of either plan that makes sense to me.

And why is that a good thing, k? Serious, not sarcastic.

It a good thing to stop shipments because the would relieve some supply pressure - at least for now.

I thought that's what you meant and I understand what you're saying. However...I'm a saver and a horder. I'd rather other options were at the Top of the list rather than tapping into our *savings*.

This is a case of whether to add to our savings or not rather than tapping them. I think if the proposal was to tap into the Strategic Reserve (which no doubt some want to do, and I'd guess more of those that want to would be Dems) I would be against it. But what I read was that they want to stop additions to the reserve which at this time of slim supply and high prices just makes sense anyway (that is unless the reserve is particularly low - I don't know the details).