On the heels of a decision by the Obama administration Thursday to tap U.S. emergency oil reserves, House Republican leaders Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Kevin McCarthy (CA-22) and Steve Scalise (LA-01) held a blogger conference call during which they shared a resounding message. The Republican majority is steadfastly focused on creating American energy and getting the American people back to work as quickly as possible.
“Gas prices and jobs are key to economic recovery”, said McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), who serves not only as Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, but also as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. “Republicans are saying yes to American energy, yes to energy development and innovation, and we’re having to pass legislation to get the [Obama] administration to make a decision.”
Scalise (LA-01), who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the House Energy Action Team (H.E.A.T.) further explained that multiple bills have been sent to the senate in recent weeks that would open up known oil reserves in the U.S. The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act (H.R. 2021) that passed Wednesday would prevent the EPA from continuing to block them at every turn, creating more than 50,000 jobs and the possibility of more than a million barrels a day in oil production. In addition, legislation (H.R. 1938) was finally passed yesterday that forces the Obama administration to make a decision by November on whether or not to approve the construction and operation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. (A move which would, in turn, create more American jobs and American energy for the American people.)
When asked for a response on the decision of the administration yesterday, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (CA-22) weighed in. “Petroleum reserves have been tapped twice in the last 20 years--once after the Gulf War in ‘91, and again after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Today, [Obama] extracted 36 hours worth of oil for us. That’s it. Not one job created.” The administration and the Democrat party have made it abundantly clear that they believe oil supply has nothing to do with the price of gasoline. However, yesterday’s decision to tap U.S. emergency oil reserves--to the tune of 30 million barrels--gives a pretty clear indication that the President realizes something must be done. “The American people are fed up with their refusal to increase American supply,” said Scalise (LA-01), whose state has been deeply affected by the offshore drilling moratorium imposed upon them by the Obama administration last year. Scalise went on to explain that more than 13,000 jobs have been lost since the moratorium was imposed. “A dozen rigs have left (each rig represents about a thousand jobs) and gone to foreign countries to drill. Businesses are leaving and going overseas to places like Egypt, Brazil and Africa.” Meanwhile, over two-thirds of the oil supply in the U.S. comes from foreign countries like Venezuela, from whom we purchased $27 billion last year.
So, what’s the solution? House Republicans say they are committed to creating American energy and reducing our dependence on foreign oil, in turn providing greater national security and a growing economy. They continue to send bipartisan bills over to the Senate that are repeatedly delayed by the EPA and blocked by Harry Reid (D-NV) and his fellow Democrats. They will continue to push legislation that creates American energy and American jobs, and have asked that the American people make their voices heard loud and clear on this issue.
