GOP aims to use little-known legislative tool to force Biden's hand on energy crisis

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is set to consider a series of GOP measures Wednesday that would force the Biden administration to share information about its energy policymaking process.

In July, committee Republicans filed dozens of "resolutions of inquiry" (ROI) addressing a series of topics related to the panel's purview which, according to House rules, Democratic leadership is required to consider within 14 legislative days. Among the ROIs, GOP members have introduced, four are related to the Biden administration's approach to energy and climate issues.

"Democrats will need to make a choice between getting answers on behalf of the American people or keep stonewalling to protect President Biden’s radical agenda and abuses of power," a GOP aide told FOX Business.

ROIs, if approved, enable the House to forcefully obtain factual information and documentation from the White House. While the little-known legislative tool has been around since the early 1800s, Democrats had suspended ROIs until July.

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Among the Republicans' energy ROIs, Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., filed one requesting documentation related to the Biden administration’s use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve "for political purposes."

"The Biden administration's decision to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was a political gimmick that did nothing to lower gas prices," Armstrong said in statement after filing the ROI.

"The refining capacity doesn’t exist for that oil to be quickly converted into gasoline. And since we are depleting our strategic reserves, they will need to be refilled with oil that is selling at a higher price, costing taxpayers even more money," he added.

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Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., introduced a separate ROI requesting documentation related to actions taken by the Biden administration impacting the U.S. power grid.

Reps. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, and Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., filed the other two ROIs that request documentation regarding the White House's internal discussions about declaring a national climate emergency and its response to rising energy prices, respectively. Duncan's measure would include documents related to the administration's green energy push, decision to blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for the domestic energy crunch, and communications about a potential crude oil export ban.

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"We believe in unleashing American energy production by utilizing our nation's vast natural resources and innovation, refusing to pick the winners and losers when it comes to energy production," Duncan said in July. "Unleashing an all-of-the-above energy strategy will inevitably lower energy costs for Americans and strengthen our energy economy."

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will debate the ROIs during a markup hearing Wednesday.

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.