Skip to main content
Press Release Published: Sep 1, 2022

Comer, Mace: Biden’s Sale of U.S. Oil Reserves to China May Support Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Today, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) and Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Ranking Member Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) are continuing oversight of the Biden Administration’s sale of U.S. oil reserves to Unipec America, a company operated by the Chinese Communist Party, and raising concerns that U.S. oil could be used by China to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. To ensure the Biden Administration is properly managing the sale of critical assets, the lawmakers are once again calling on Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm to provide an immediate briefing and all documents and communications related to the SPR sale.

“We are continuing oversight of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) depletion of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). According to DOE, the Biden Administration recently sold almost a million barrels of SPR oil to Unipec America, a subsidiary of Sinopec, a company owned by the Chinese Communist Party. In addition to concerns with Hunter Biden, the President’s son, receiving money from the deal, the decision to sell to Unipec is troubling because Chinese firms are supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In order to ensure the American people that the Biden Administration is properly managing the sale of critical assets from the SPR and not supporting Russia by providing oil to China, we request a briefing and documents related to this matter,” wrote the Republican lawmakers.

Committee Republicans previously wrote to Secretary Granholm on May 26, 2022 and July 20, 2022 requesting a briefing on the DOE’s plan to replenish the SPR and raising concerns about the sale of oil to a Chinese energy company that Hunter Biden’s private equity firm has a financial stake in. DOE’s failure to provide a briefing or any information related to the SPR sale jeopardizes the United States’ ability to respond to national emergencies and meet Americans’ energy demands. 

“Research shows Chinese firms recently trading with Russia’s defense sector, including with companies supporting Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine. This is troubling because the DOE sale of almost $100 million worth of oil went to Unipec, a subsidiary of a Chinese oil company.  In light of China’s friendship with Russia having ‘no limits,’ there are serious questions about whether SPR oil is benefiting Russia or companies assisting Russia in the invasion of Ukraine. It would be unacceptable for China to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with oil from the United States. We reiterate our prior requests and ask that you provide information on this topic at a briefing so we can better understand how China intends to use the oil it received from the United States,” concluded the Republican lawmakers.

Read the letter to DOE Secretary Granholm here.