Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 100 Part 5.djvu/896

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PUBLIC LAW 99-000—MMMM. DD, 1986

100 STAT. 4370

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION S — J U N E 27, 1986 OIL AND GAS EMPLOYEES

SEC. 8. Since in the last six months the Government of Saudi Arabia has more than doubled its export of petroleum and petroleum products; and Since these increased export volumes have resulted in a surplus of petroleum and petroleum products within the world marketplace; and Since this surplus has directly resulted in a dramatic reduction of the weighted average price of international crude from $27.10 on January 7, 1986, to $13.08 on April 15, 1986; and Since the United States has increased its importation of petroleum and petroleum products by 26 percent over the comparable period last year; Since this dramatic reduction in price and the increased level of imports has resulted in a corresponding reduction in domestic petroleum exploration activities, including a reduction in the number of active rotary drilling rigs in the United States from 4,797 in 1981, to 865 as of April 21, 1986; and Since the increase in petroleum imports and the reduction in domestic exploration efforts have resulted in a loss of jobs for individuals who are employed by the oil and gas industry and oil and gas service industry; and Since American firms and employees that are injured by increased imports are eligible for temporary assistance under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act; and Since the Administration is narrowly interpreting the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act so as to exclude employees of the oil and gas industry and oil and gas service industry from receiving the benefits of this Act. It is therefore the sense of the Congress that— employees of the United States oil and gas industry and oil and gas service industry have been directly injured by a dramatic increase in imported petroleum and petroleum products and by the resulting decline in domestic oil exploration efforts; and f the Administration should immediately broaden its interpretation of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act so as to allow employees of the United States oil and gas industry and oil and gas service industry to qualify for certification under the Act; and if the Administration does not act immediately to resolve this

matter, the Congress will address this issue on the first appropriate vehicle to be considered by the Congress. ,

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STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE

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SEC. 9. It is the sense of the Congress that the policy to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to an ultimate capacity of 750 million barrels be reaffirmed. It is also recommended that the Federal Government purchase oil for the Reserve in a way designed to help domestic stripper oil well producers so as to minimize the shutting-in of stripper production. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE

SEC. 10. It is the sense of the Congress that Federal funds for the Cooperative Extension Service of the Department of Agriculture