Pay-For

How Congress Set Itself Up to Get Fleeced by Oil Traders

In its search for cash, Congress leaves traders licking their chops.

Will Congress Lose Money by Selling Oil?

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In the hunt for new sources of cash, U.S. lawmakers may have set themselves up to get fleeced by savvy oil traders.

In an era where tax increases are non-starters, lawmakers and their aides are constantly looking to identify new—and often creative—ways to raise money. One idea increasingly considered as a pay-for? Selling barrels of oil from the Strategic Oil Reserve, the U.S. oil stockpile designated for drawdown only in case of emergency, whether national security- or national disaster-related.