Energy Policy – Functional Government Initiative

DOE Withholds Records on Strategic Petroleum Reserve Release

FGI files suit to discover if politics played a role

July 7, 2022

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced transparency litigation against the Department of Energy (DOE) seeking records on the Administration’s decision to release millions of barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).

In November 2021, amidst skyrocketing gas prices, the Biden Administration announced it was going to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and withdraw 50 million barrels of oil. The SPR was created by Congress following the Arab oil embargo of the early 1970s with the intent to maintain a reserve to address severe disruptions in supply. As the administration draws from the reserve, there has been no major disruption in the oil supply that would have warranted such a withdrawal. By contrast, the Colonial Pipeline hacking attack in May of last year, which disrupted fuel supplies to the East Coast, did not trigger a release from the SPR.

FGI’s document request was triggered by concerns the decision to drawdown was in response to the Administration’s falling approval numbers, due in part to rising gas prices, rather than disruptions in supplies. The Administration has since made additional releases from the SPR following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These releases have depleted the reserve to dangerous levels not seen since the 1980s.

In January 2022, FGI opened up an investigation into the decision to release the first 50 million barrels from the SPR. Despite repeated efforts by FGI to work with DOE during this investigation, the agency has not complied with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act and FGI believes this lawsuit is the only way to force DOE to release the records that could show the true basis for this unprecedented drawdown of the SPR.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“With each release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, we weaken our ability to respond to a legitimate supply crisis. The SPR was created to respond to real emergencies, a category that does not include falling poll numbers caused by a failed energy policy. Americans deserve to know if political motives are behind moves that put their security at risk.”

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Interior Cancels Another Lease Sale While Gas Prices Continue to Skyrocket

Dysfunctional energy policy could be driving Americans’ pain at the pump

May 13, 2022

(Washington, DC) – Yesterday, the Department of the Interior announced it was canceling planned oil and gas lease sales in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico in the middle of a heightened energy crisis at home and abroad. A Department spokesperson blamed the cancellation of part of the proposed sale on the “lack of interest” from oil and gas companies to drill. Critics of the move were quick to attribute this lack of interest to the federal government’s energy policy.

As one of its first actions, the Biden Administration issued an executive order halting oil and gas lease sales on public lands and waters. Months later a federal judge ordered them resumed. Earlier this year, FGI began an investigation into the federal government’s oil and gas policy, seeking records related to a request for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate oil and gas companies for price gouging and records from a variety of relevant agencies around offshore leases. A month into the investigation, the administration announced that leasing sales would resume, though with an 80 percent reduction in acreage and a more than 50 percent increase in royalties. Industry insiders claimed these changes could result in lower production, hampering efforts to reduce prices.

Interior’s decision comes during a time of crisis at the pump, where Americans are paying nearly double what they were two years ago. FGI will continue to press for answers about the federal government’s oil and gas policy.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“If there is a better example of the impact of government dysfunction on the lives of Americans, I can’t think of one. No matter how hard they try, the government cannot repeal the laws of supply and demand. It is more than a little puzzling that, at a time of skyrocketing fuel prices and international turmoil involving energy supply, the federal government would make a series of decisions, culminating in the latest cancellation of lease sales, that could serve to restrict energy supply.”

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Functional Government Initiative: ‘Nothing of substance has been done’ about high gas prices in North Carolina

By David Hutton (Cabarrus Today)

April 18, 2022

The Biden administration’s latest move concerning high gas prices has been to invoke the Defense Production Act, which concerns electric vehicles, not American energy production.

This is drawing the ire of the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) and is fueling its latest government investigation.

According to FGI, “The Functional Government Initiative is a new organization dedicated to improving the American public’s awareness about the officials, decisions and priorities of their government.”

‘Nothing of substance has been done’: FGI criticizes Biden’s energy policy

By John Kelly (Houston Daily)

April 18, 202 2

The Biden administration’s latest decision pertaining to high gas prices has been to invoke the Defense Production Act, which pertains to electric vehicles, not American energy production.

This is the newest area of concern for the Functional Government Initiative (FGI), and has prompted their most recent government investigation.

“Exploring the expansion of domestic extraction of minerals is a good step because it may create jobs for the next generation of American workers, but it does not tackle the current fuel crisis,” Functional Government Initiative Spokesman Peter McGinnis said. “We are on month two of ‘We will do everything we can to lower gas prices,’ yet nothing of substance has been done to accomplish that – as you can see every time you fill up your tank. Either the administration is hoping the problem will fix itself or that Americans will surrender to astronomically high gas prices. Neither scenario appears plausible. Along with inflation in general, energy prices are crushing the American dream. FGI will continue its investigation of which special interests are dictating the government’s handling of this energy crisis.”

‘Energy prices are crushing the American dream’: Functional Government Initiative discontent with Biden’s handling of high prices at Wisconsin’s pumps

By Andy Nghiem (Northwoods Reporter)

April 18, 2022

The Functional Government Initiative (FGI) is questioning the motives behind the Biden administration’s latest actions to address soaring gas prices in Wisconsin and across the U.S.

In the midst of the U.S. experiencing the highest gas prices in history for the second month in a row and inflation being at a 40-year high, President Joe Biden has announced that the administration will be invoking the Defense Production Act, according to a release from the FGI. This move is said to be an attempt to ease potential supply chain issues for electric vehicle components. The FGI has voiced its discontent regarding this announcement and pointed out this move is just another way for the administration to move the American public away from gasoline and toward electric vehicles.

FGI criticizes Biden administration’s ‘perplexing’ move to invoke Defense Production Act

By Bob Martin (Keystone Today)

April 15, 2022

With gas prices the highest they have been since 2008 and inflation at the highest it’s been since 1981, the Biden administration recently announced that it will invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA).

The decision comes as the administration is trying to ease potential supply chain concerns for electric vehicle parts, according to the Functional Government Initiative website.

The move is another way for the Biden administration to move the public away from gasoline and toward electric vehicles, FGI reported. The order reportedly will move funds to private projects surrounding the extraction of minerals used for building electric car batteries. This includes lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, and manganese.

FGI: ‘Nothing of substance has been done’ to lower Nevada’s gas prices

By Art Benavidez (NW Clark News)

April 15, 2022

The Functional Government Initiative (FGI) has released a report contending that the introduction of the Defense Production Act by the Biden administration has more to do with its stake in the production of electric vehicles (EVs) than remedying the country’s lagging energy efforts.

The move comes on the heels of inflation in the country being at a 40-year high and is rooted in the Biden administration’s efforts to move the country to renewable energy, the recent report said. Invoking the act facilitates money for private developments geared toward removing lithium and cobalt, which are critical components to the manufacturing of EV batteries.

Should the initiative become successful, it could lead to less U.S. reliance on China; the report said. But that would not present a clear pathway to remedy the current inflation surge or lower energy prices in the short-term.

Critical Minerals Order Continues “Great Transition” Approach; Ignores Pain at Pump

The Federal government reiterates that the only way to lower gas prices is not to use gas at all.

April 7, 2022

(Washington, DC) – Last Thursday, President Biden announced that the Administration would be invoking the Defense Production Act in an attempt to ease potential supply chain issues for electric vehicle components. This order will move funds to private projects for feasibility studies surrounding the extraction of minerals that are essential to building electric vehicle batteries such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, and manganese. The invocation of this act is the latest attempt from the Administration to move the American public away from gasoline and towards electric vehicles.

This decision comes as the United States is experiencing the highest gas prices in history for the second month in a row. While the Administration continues to point the finger at Russia and the invasion of Ukraine, inflation and rising gas prices preceded Russian tanks rolling toward Kyiv. If the Administration’s effort to encourage more supply of essential minerals is successful, it could reduce America’s reliance on China, but it remains uncertain how this move would ease any inflation concerns or alleviate energy prices in the short-term.

FGI has repeatedly expressed concerns over the federal government’s perplexing response and actions taken attempting to reduce gas prices. Opening up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and calls to hostile dictators have formed the crux of their approach while requests to reconsider opposition to pipeline infrastructure and oil and gas leases and financing have repeatedly been rejected. The question of which special interests are influencing the government’s anti-fossil fuel policy amid an energy crisis remains the focus of several of FGI’s ongoing investigations and requests for government records. This latest effort only confirms the public interest in finding more answers about how the Administration is functioning.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“Exploring the expansion of domestic extraction of minerals is a good step because it may create jobs for the next generation of American workers, but it does not tackle the current fuel crisis. We are on month two of ‘we will do everything we can to lower gas prices,’” yet nothing of substance has been done to accomplish that – as you can see every time you fill up your tank. Either the Administration is hoping the problem will fix itself or that Americans will surrender to astronomically high gas prices. Neither scenario appears plausible. Along with inflation in general, energy prices are crushing the American dream. FGI will continue its investigation of which special interests are dictating the government’s handling of this energy crisis.”

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McGinnis: ‘FGI will be appealing the FTC’s decision to withhold all documents related to a possible investigation into the oil and gas industry’

By Andy Nghiem (DOJ Newswire)

March 29, 2022

The Biden administration is continuing to place the blame on the oil and gas industry for sky-high American gas prices, but the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) believes that the administration’s own energy policies is causing gas prices to skyrocket.

The FGI recently requested access to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) documents regarding their ongoing investigation of the oil and gas industry to determine how the Biden administration’s energy policies may be impacting the cost of oil and gas, according to the FGI’s website. The request was denied, which leads the FGI to believe that gas prices are a result of the administration’s energy policies, not profiteering or price gouging by the oil and gas industry.

In recent weeks, President Joe Biden repeated his belief that the oil and gas industry may be price gouging or profiteering, this time citing the war between Russia and Ukraine. The FGI asserted that this statement simply reflects broader opposition to the domestic oil and gas industry, or an attempt to shift blame from the federal government’s role in driving inflation higher over the past year. Although there is proof of pump prices being on the rise before the war in Ukraine, FGI said the domestic oil and gas industry appears to be a constant bogeyman for the Biden administration.

FTC Response Indicates Active Discussion to Investigate Oil and Gas Industry for Price Gouging

March 21, 2022

(Washington, DC) – In midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and skyrocketing inflation and gas prices, the Federal Trade Commission may be months into an investigation of the oil and gas industry.

In November 2021, with gas prices and inflation already well on the rise, President Biden asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the oil and gas industry was illegally profiteering or price gouging customers.

In recent weeks, the President repeated his belief that the oil and gas industry may be price gouging or profiteering, this time citing the wartime circumstances. Whether this statement simply reflects broader opposition to the domestic oil and gas industry or an attempt to shift blame from the federal government’s role in driving inflation higher over the past year – gas prices at the pump have hit records highs and were on the rise before the war in Ukraine – the domestic oil and gas industry appears to be a constant bogeyman for the Biden Administration.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records around the President’s call to investigate the oil and gas industry, the Functional Government Initiative was recently denied all documents from the FTC. The FTC asserts that every record was part of a deliberative and pre-decisional process. FGI is in the process of appealing the decision. However, if the FTC is complying strictly with the requirements of FOIA regarding disclosing documents, it likely means there are active discussions to initiate an investigation or that an investigation has already begun.

Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:

“Attorney General Garland’s FOIA memo issued last week highlights the obligation of federal agencies to release all information that is not strictly protected under the law. Accordingly, FGI will be appealing the FTC’s decision to withhold all documents related to a possible investigation into the oil and gas industry. In the midst of record inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and after a year of shutting down pipelines and calling for a full transition away from fossil fuels, it rings a bit hollow that increased gas prices are anything but an intended result of the Administration’s current move away from energy independence. We will continue to seek access to records so the public can make up their own mind.”

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