Americans need affordable, clean, safe, and abundant energy supplies. More than ever, we must be focused on increasing our energy independence. I believe that increasing our energy production here at home and encouraging alternative and renewable energy will not only increase our energy security but can help create jobs and economic growth. Our country greatly depends on safe, clean, and reliable energy production and it’s important that our nation’s energy policies reflect our growing demand. I believe that our nation’s economic recovery and growth relies on safe and abundant energy supplies from all sources. Because of this, I think we need to stress responsible energy development from multiple sources. For example, with the huge expansion of natural gas resources because of shale gas that’s been found recently, we should encourage development and use of these resources.
What Can We Do?
We must have a comprehensive, all-of-the-above solution to our energy needs, one that focuses on reducing prices at the pump and at home for families, while lowering costs for businesses that rely on energy as well. We should target expanding American-made energy while also encouraging conservation and new energy technologies.
I oppose all efforts to install a new national energy tax, especially the misguided “Cap & Tax” bill forced through the Congress last year. Rather than encouraging American made energy and manufactured products, this bill would actually force consumers to pay more for gasoline, electricity, and other energy-intensive products made in America. In the 25th Congressional District, this could cost as many as 3,796 jobs and $531 million in personal income – not to mention the estimates of up to 2.7 million job losses nationwide. We can’t afford this misguided policy.
Expanding Access to American Energy Resources
In the 112th Congress, I am working hard to decrease our dependence on foreign energy, create jobs, lower gasoline prices, and protect our national security. Recently, I co-sponsored bills to increase energy production offshore and on federal lands. These bills include the Putting the Gulf Back to Work Act, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, and the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act. I am proud to co-sponsor these bills and recently passed out of the House of Representatives.
Today, limited offshore drilling provides the nation with 30 percent of its domestic oil production and 21 percent of its domestic natural gas production. I believe the best approach to ensuring our continued access to affordable energy is to pass a balanced, long-term energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil while preserving the environment.
It is my firm belief that any drilling must be conducted with the utmost care for our environment. Offshore drilling should be part of a much larger policy, including fuel alternatives, to achieve energy independence. While doing this, we must be diligent in enforcing laws to prevent another disaster, like the British Petroleum disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, in a safe and responsible manner.
American Energy Initiative The American Energy Initiative is an ongoing effort by House Republicans to address rising gasoline prices and expand American energy production. This initiative will lower energy costs, grow our economy and create jobs. House Natural Resources Committee Republicans are committed to finding sensible solutions to America’s rapidly rising energy costs and help boost our economy by actively producing our own American energy resources. I have supported the following American Energy Initiative legislation that passed in the House:
H.R. 2842 is a bipartisan plan to create new American jobs and expand production of clean, renewable hydropower by streamlining the regulatory process and cutting duplicative, bureaucratic red tape.
H.R. 7 would link new American energy production to high-priority infrastructure projects. This common sense jobs plan would permanently remove government barriers to American energy production and use the revenues to repair and improve America’s roads and bridges – both of which support long-term job growth.
H.R. 1231 lifts the President’s ban on new offshore drilling by requiring the Administration to move forward in the 2012-2017 lease plan with energy production in areas containing the most oil and natural gas resources.
H.R. 1230 requires the Obama Administration to move forward promptly to conduct offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Virginia that the Obama Administration has delayed or canceled.
H.R. 1229 puts an end to the Obama Administration’s de facto moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico in a safe, responsible, transparent manner by setting firm time-lines for considering permits to drill, which provide certainty and allow employers and workers to get back on the job.
