Fact Check: Has Biden Sold Off More Oil Than Every Past President Combined?

President Joe Biden is seeking to alleviate pain at the pump, but his plan to do so less than three weeks until the midterm elections has sparked criticism from Republicans.

The Biden administration announced this week its plans to release 15 million more barrels of oil to help reduce high gas prices that have plagued American consumers in recent months. Gas prices again shot up this month after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced plans to cut oil production earlier in October. According to AAA, gas prices across the United States averaged $3.803 per gallon on Saturday.

GOP critics accused Biden of releasing strategic oil, intended for use in a national emergency, to lower gas prices ahead of the midterms, when Republicans are expected to make gains in Congress. Economic issues including high gas prices and inflation are at the top of voters' minds, with polls finding that many voters are more confident in how Republicans will handle the economy. Biden has said the move was not politically motivated.

The Strategic Oil Reserve is an emergency stockpile of gasoline that was established in 1975 following the 1973 energy crisis. Since its founding, presidents have ordered the release of petroleum to offset disruptions caused by hurricanes, route closures and other emergencies. Currently, the reserves hold 405 million barrels of oil, according to the Department of Energy.

The Claim

One specific criticism raised by Republicans is that Biden has released not only more oil than every president has released individually—but that he released more strategic oil than every past president combined.

"Joe Biden has sold off more of our strategic oil than every past president combined," Representative Lisa McClain, a Michigan Republican, tweeted on Sunday.

She joined other GOP critics who said Biden should turn to alternative ways to lower gas prices, rather than deplete the strategic oil reserves. Senator Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, tweeted: "Draining oil from the Strategic Reserve is a short-sighted and dangerous choice that imperils our energy security at a critical time of global uncertainty."

The Facts

Facing political pressure stemming from increasing energy costs, the Biden administration in March ordered the release of 180 million barrels of oil throughout the year—1 million barrels per day for 180 days. The 15 million barrel release was intended to bring the 165 million barrels already sold to that total.

In addition to the 180 million barrels announced in March—already more than any president has individually released—Biden sold an additional 50 million barrels to help alleviate gas prices in November 2021.

He also sold 30 million barrels at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war to offset the gas price hikes that was anticipated due to the conflict—as many Western countries issued sanctions against Russian energy, which experts say led to oil price increases.

Other presidents have released significantly less oil.

Former President Ronald Reagan was the first president to tap the reserves in December 1985 for a test sale of 967,000 barrels of oils. Former President Bill Clinton released the second highest amount of strategic oil, selling nearly 74 million barrels—30 million of which were released to combat high home heating costs in 2000, according to a Department of Energy fact sheet outlining historic strategic oil releases from its creation to 2014.

From Reagan to former President Donald Trump, presidents have ordered the release of a total of about 172 million barrels of strategic oil to be sold in emergencies, such as 2017's Hurricane Harvey, which caused refineries in the southern U.S. region to close, driving up gas prices.

In addition to presidents releasing oil, Congress has also ordered the Department of Energy to sell some oil from the reserves. Congress required the Department of Energy to release more than 15 million barrels in modernization sales from 2017 to 2020, according to the department's overview of recent sales.

The 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act also required the department to release 58 million barrels of crude oil from the reserves over eight consecutive fiscal years, according to the Department of Energy.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.

The Ruling

True.

McClain's criticism against Biden is factually accurate. Biden has released at least 260 million barrels of oil compared to 172 million barrels ordered by other presidents in total. However, it is worth noting that the strategic oil reserve was only created in the 1970s—meaning earlier presidents couldn't have sold any oil.

The 172 million figure does not account for any strategic oil sold by Congress.

Defenders of Biden have pushed back on the criticism that he should not release oil from the strategic reserves. They say the economic situation—that experts say has worsened due to the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic, which blunted economic gains for years—warrants extreme measures to mitigate economic pain for consumers.

FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK