Schumer Urges Trump to Tap Strategic Oil Reserve to Ease Iran War Gas Price Spike
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday called on President Donald Trump to immediately release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to counter a sharp rise in U.S. gasoline prices following last week’s attacks on Iran, directly tying the spike to what he labeled Trump’s “reckless war of choice.” In an X post, Schumer accused Trump of indifference to higher pump prices and framed an emergency SPR drawdown as needed relief for American drivers. Republicans and the administration are resisting the move, arguing that current price increases are driven mainly by short‑term market fears that will fade within weeks and blasting President Biden’s 2022 SPR release as a politically motivated depletion that left stocks at historic lows. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Fox News Sunday that the administration has been slowly refilling the reserve during periods of low prices and insisted that other steps, not another major drawdown, will keep world oil supplies adequate during what he predicts will be a relatively brief conflict. The clash underscores how the SPR has become a partisan weapon: Democrats now press Trump to use the same tool Republicans denounced under Biden, while the White House leans on the earlier depletion to reject calls for fresh releases even as voters see higher prices at the pump.
📌 Key Facts
- Schumer publicly demanded on March 8, 2026 that President Trump release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve "IMMEDIATELY" to lower gasoline prices after attacks on Iran.
- He blamed “Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice” for gas prices surging to their highest levels in years and criticized Trump’s reported reaction that “If they rise, they rise.”
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the administration is opposed to another big drawdown, arguing Biden wrongly depleted the SPR in 2022 but predicting current higher prices will last weeks, not months.
- The article notes the SPR caverns along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast need more than $100 million in repairs to restore full capacity after prior use and that nearly refilling the reserve would cost billions.
📊 Relevant Data
Black and Latino households pay 13–18% more on average for energy per square foot of housing compared to White households.
Race, rates, and energy insecurity: exploring racial disparities in electricity costs and consumption in US utility service areas — Nature Scientific Reports
As of March 8, 2026, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the US is $3.45.
Month: March 2026 — AAA Gas Prices
The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve held 415.44 million barrels of crude oil as of February 27, 2026.
US Crude Oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Stocks — YCharts
56% of Americans oppose US military action in Iran, with 84% of Republicans supporting it, 86% of Democrats opposing it, and 61% of independents opposing it.
War with Iran, March 2026 — Marist Poll
In 1953, the US and UK orchestrated a coup to overthrow Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, restoring the Shah to power.
1953 Iranian coup d'état — Wikipedia
As of 2024, 21.4% of active-duty US Army soldiers are Black, compared to about 13.6% of the US population being Black.
How many people are in the US military? A demographic overview — USA Facts
Displacement of 10% of Iran's 90 million population due to the war could result in 9 million refugees, rivaling the largest flows in recent decades.
Iran-US war could lead to the largest refugee crisis in decades, EU warns — The Independent
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time