Campaign 2000: TIME Issues Briefing: Controlling Oil Prices

Gore says the price crisis merits opening the strategic reserve. Bush says that's bad policy. Who's right, and who has the better plan for the future?

GORE'S SHORT-TERM FIX

The oil that Gore urged be released is not sold but "swapped": companies who win bids for it can sell it at current market prices, but they will have to return the same value of crude to the reserve next summer or fall. Prices will probably be lower then, so the companies will actually have to return more oil than they have taken out. Gore also proposes to ease the coming pain by giving a temporary tax credit for distributors who build up their oil stocks before winter and by asking Congress to spend $400 million to help...

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