Cutting off the flow of crude oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as Congress did Thursday, will not hold gasoline prices down nor will it mean significantly more oil on the market.

U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan put it this way:"Is it a giant step? No. But is it a step finally, at long last, in the right direction? It is."

Maybe. Maybe not.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve gives the nation a critical tool in case the crude oil market dries up or gets cut off. It gives the nation a 90-day supply of crude. We have more than 700 million barrels of oil, about 97 percent of our goal, tucked away in underground salt caverns in states along the Gulf of Mexico. The federal government has been putting about 70,000 barrels of oil a day into the reserve. The average price for oil in the reserve is $28.42 per barrel (oil recently began selling for more than $125 per barrel).

The reserve was established following the 1973-74 oil embargo. It has been used twice for emergencies:

- During Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

- Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Also, in 1994, then-President Clinton halted purchases of oil for the reserve to help reduce the federal deficit. Clinton, in 1996 and 1997, sold about 28 million barrels of oil from the reserves for federal deficit reduction.

The questions become:Are the high pump prices worth holding the reserve at present levels? Will such action make a difference in price? Would an additional 3 percent in the reserve make any real difference in an emergency?

Responding to consumers, Congress decided the reserve is high enough and, although cutting off the flow of oil into the reserve will not make much difference on price, it will make consumers feel better. President Bush, although opposed to the cutoff, has decided not to veto Congress's action.

The truth of the matter is we have erratic and increasing crude oil prices. Few people believe this is a short-term problem. It is the result of global politics, terrorism and U.S. foreign policy - managed or mismanaged, depending upon your point of view. That being said, America might well be better off topping off the reserve, and holding it for a real crisis.

Is cutting off the reserve a small step? Yes.

In the right direction? No.