It’s been busy in Washington – whittling away our time in Congress naming various post offices and recognizing just about every group under the sun. We’ve even addressed the most pressing of national issues – if Roger Clemens took steroids. But Congress has ignored what folks care about most – rising gas prices.
It is inexcusable for dictators like Hugo Chavez to have more influence over the price of our nation’s energy supply than the U.S. Congress. The American public won’t tolerate a Congress that continually steps aside and does nothing as energy prices go through the roof. The price of gas today is more than a $1 higher a gallon than a year ago. And yet, we’ve done nothing.
Over a decade ago, we had a unique opportunity to fortify our nation’s domestic energy supply. In 1995, President Clinton vetoed legislation which would have allowed environmentally responsible exploration for an estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil in a tiny sliver of Alaska. At the time, the naysayers applauded the President’s veto, belittling the reality that the benefits of such exploration would be over 10 years away. And now, each and every one of us is paying the price for such a shortsighted policy.
We owe it to working families to pursue an energy policy with a vision of the future - lower prices and energy security through environmentally friendly American energy. Congress cannot stand by for another year and allow gas to perhaps eclipse $5 a gallon. The American public deserves better.
< Back to Working for the People of Michigan |
