| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Positive | Positive | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
SCR 13 is a resolution which urges the United States
congress to end current ban on crude oil exports. This ban was originally
instituted in 1975 in response to the then-recent energy crisis. SCR 13 puts forth a number
of reasons for why the ban should be lifted. These include noting the
importance of the oil industry to the Texas economy, the outdated nature of the
ban, geopolitical and national security benefits, and economic gains both in
terms of both revenue and jobs.
Additionally, copies of this resolution would be sent to the
President of the United States, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the U.S.
Secretary of Energy, the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, the speaker of the
U.S. House of Representatives, and all members of the Texas delegation to
Congress.
Lifting the current ban on crude oil exports would indeed be
a welcome change of United States policy; the reasons listed in the resolution being
valid. More specifically, we support SCR 13 because of it would be an
outstanding boon to free markets as the United States is the only major
industrial state with such a ban in place. Allowing U.S. crude on the market
would bring global crude oil prices significantly closer to the market rate.
Lifting the ban would also be a step in the right direction
for property rights and would likely produce a number of secondary economic
gains such as increased employment. This is particularly pertinent for Texas
given the importance of the oil industry to this state.