Biden just sold the National Helium Reserve…

https://citizenwatchreport.com/biden-just-sold-the-national-helium-reserve/

Deflating security: Biden sells federal helium reserve, threatens us industries… National security on the line as critical element supply diminishes.

In a surprising turn of events, the U.S. government has auctioned off the Federal Helium Reserve, a subterranean treasure in Amarillo, Texas, responsible for supplying up to 30% of the nation’s helium needs. This critical element is indispensable in medical technologies, cryogenics, semiconductors, and even rocket propulsion systems.

The top bidder will acquire not just the reserve but also about 425 miles of pipelines across three states and roughly 1 billion cubic feet of helium. However, this transition to private ownership poses regulatory challenges, potentially leading to a temporary shutdown, particularly concerning for the healthcare sector, where MRIs heavily rely on helium.

Joe Biden doing what he does best. Weakening and selling out America. Biden supporters should understand that MRIs require liquid Helium. There will be no immediate concern with getting an MRI, but down the road?

 

I can't help but think that Biden's puppet masters are in China.

 

Wonder if Biden will sell our Lithium mines we just discovered to CHINA?? What could go wrong?

There needs to be a serious look at ANY foreign entities owning any infrastructure in this country. It is truly mind boggling ANY business or land tied to resources or national security ahouod be owned by anyone except citizens residing within our borders.

Otherwise it’s just RIPE for anyone to pull a plug and cause significant damage, especially countries like China, anyone in the ME or Russia.

Just mind boggling.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...-stockpile-s-medical-world-worried-rcna134785

https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/527



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Hastings

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Helium_Reserve

Maybe, the Biden haters should look at the history of this before pointing fingers.

" The Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 mandated higher prices but a continued selldown to 3 billion cubic feet remaining by October 1, 2018, which was achieved with auctions.[9] It also set a deadline of September, 30, 2021 for sale of the reserve."

Note, the 3 billion ft^3 that are curently being sold off are already 10-times less than what the reserve held at the peak.

So, while crying "Biden did this" is fashionable in MAGA world, the reality is that this is just the end of a process decades in the making, and Trump could have stopped it, if he had wanted to, but he didn't.

Finally, China has nothing to do with it, because it is not a major He producer.

 

I used to work in a helium factory, but I quit. I refuse to be spoken to in that tone!

 

Biden is having a fire sale to pay for his out of control spending, at the country's expense.

 

You know, it's funny. Republicans passed this bill because they want to privatize everything. If Biden ignores this bill, they would call him a dictator/tyrant.

 

excellent!!! Best comment of the week!!

 

Yep, time for this guy to go. It's too bad the only replacement we'll likely get is a raging dumpster fire. We deserve all of the **** we're getting because we keep electing morons.

 

Messer Group is a family owned company with a long history in the industrial gas field. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If it makes you feel better, their bid was ten times what the only other bid was.

 

I’m sorry, are you against privatization?? You think govt can run it better than a for profit business could?
Jesus what happened to the gop???

 

As long as the buyers (Messer Group?) don't sell it to China, I'm all in.

 

[

Actually in general I am against privatization. Of the government that is. Pretty sure I have posted more than once in this forum about Reagan's privatization increasing the cost of government and introducing a lot of corruption into government contracting. I am also against selling of 100% of any strategic resource controlled OR run by the government, i.e., which is what my post was about. It was not about the efficiency of operating a Helium business. Therefore, your above comment is a strawman fallacy. Repeating for Emphasis -- the issue is not privitization -- the issue is control of a strategic resource.

As to your GOP comment, sorry I don't fit into the false dichotomy box you want to put people into.

 

Really?

Because it isn’t obvious given the way you started this thread.’

You attacked Biden specifically.

And you based your claim on a BS story in an obscure trashy extreme right wing blog.

That is very typical of Trump supporters. Except that few bother to cite their sources at all.

 

Did Biden sell off all of our Helium reserve? Yes or no?

Does "attacking" Biden for selling off the Helium reserve mean I support Government privitization? Am I "typical of Trump supporters"? Talk about a false dichotomy. lol

BTW, I am a registered Independent voter.

 

Fair enough. Same view on oil on federal land?

 

Good to hear, but your post would be more compelling if you're talking about general privatization. This isn't really a Biden thing.

 

For those who don't know, the family-owned company that bought these rights had already been managing them for a few years so they are a known-quantity as to how they operate.

 

I wonder how the Left feels about this, who repeatedly have told everyone that government owned resources should not be privatized.

 

And,

Just in time to gouge Americans for it

Ya that idiot bydummy be a real keen businessman. What's the odd this tool, his blow bow and a dozen or so politician have ties to this money maker

 

The point of my post was that the selloff of the He reserve was decades in the making, and that it continued under Trump. Of course, you don't care about facts, you just want to attack Biden.

Now, another question is if the government should be involved in the He market. That would be a discussion for another thread. My guess: Trump supporters would argue for or against government involvement depending on who is in the WH. That's how blind partisans roll.

For our department, we buy our liquid He from the free market, and it is expensive. I would have never known that the government had a He reserve, and neither would you, before the RW media used this issue to attack Biden.

 

When was or was there another time this sort if sale off took place? Another question, was there a shortage like this a decade ago?

 

Let's see, the Biden Administration already sold off half the oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, they decided to sell off the entire emergency gasoline stockpile. And now the National Helium Reserve.

If one didn't know better, one might suspect the Biden Administration is desperate to sell things to try to raise funds.
Sell off the future to pay for the now.


related thread:
U.S. planning to sell off entire emergency gasoline reserves! (Current Events, Sep 7, 2023)

 

We'll know who to blame when no one can get an MRI. If it were up to me, I'd even make helium balloons illegal. It's such a stupid waste.