WASHINGTON -- As presidential candidates Barack Obama (D) and John McCain (R) spar overenergy plans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement, "Democrats offered a real solution to high energy prices that would bring immediate relief within 10 days by forcing the president to free our oil from the nation's stockpile. [image-nocss] The Republicans propose to give away public lands to Big Oil, which will not immediately reduce the price at the pump and save Americans only 2 cents 10 years from now. This Republican hoax is unworthy of the serious debate we must have to reduce the price at the pump and promote energy independence.
"House Republicans have opposed forcing oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres they already control, new investments in renewable energy, increasing vehicle fuel efficiency standards, making mass transit more affordable, cracking down on price gouging, and releasing oil from the government's stockpile. When it comes to energy policy, Republicans are once again promoting the interests of Big Oil and the Bush Administration that has resulted in $4 a gallon of gasoline.
"Democrats in Congress are aggressively addressing the range of economic issues confronting American families, and in the past few weeks alone, protected homeowners from foreclosure, invested in college affordability, ensured women receive equal pay for equal work, protected our children from toxic toys and products and made another historic investment in veterans care. Democrats are producing and passing real economic solutions for the American people."
Republicans took to a darkened House of Representatives on Monday, demanding that Democratic leaders recall Congress from its summer recess for a vote on offshore oil drilling.
When Pelosi closed down the House for the five-week break on August 1 without an energy vote, House Republicans took to the Floor in protest. "When the lights, microphones and cameras were shut off, we raised our voices to speak for the American people who for too long have been ignored by this "Drill-Nothing Congress'," said Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio). "Rather than listen to the American people, Speaker Pelosi and other Democratic leaders are listening to radical special-interest groups that believe we 're better off with expensive gas because fewer people will be able to drive. When she was asked why she refuses to allow a vote on the energy reforms Americans want, this was the Speaker 's explanation: 'I am saving the planet'."
Boehner added, "House Republicans have introduced a comprehensive energy reform bill we call the American Energy Act. The American Energy Act calls for 'all of the above' when it comes to the reforms needed to lower gas prices and liberate America from its dependence on foreign oil: more conservation, more alternative and renewable energy, and more production of American-made energy. It would accelerate the development and implementation of clean, renewable fuels; create new incentives for conservation and development of alternative energy sources; and lift the government ban on drilling in the frozen North Slope of Alaska and deepwater ocean energy zones far off the U.S. coast. We need to make use of these untapped American resources for affordable energy in the short-term as we work to develop and implement new, cleaner energy sources for the 21st Century.
"I reject the notion that American families have to suffer with $4 and $5 per gallon gasoline before America can successfully transition to the widespread use of new, cleaner energy. And clearly the American people reject it too. The American people want Congress to take action on an 'all of the above' energy reform strategy. It starts with a vote on the American Energy Act, which would pass with bipartisan support today if Speaker Pelosi would simply allow it to come to a vote. Unfortunately, to date, she has refused to allow such a vote to take place. That 's why House Republicans, joined by hundreds of American citizens, rose in protest on the House floor on August 1."Meanwhile, McCain campaign issued the following statement on Obama's positions on offshore drilling: "Senator Obama's stance on offshore oil drilling has been mischaracterized. He has not changed his position. He has continually campaigned against additional drilling, calling the policy a 'gimmick' saying it was a 'scheme' and ridiculing those who support it. With his steadfast opposition to John McCain's 'all of the above' approach to our energy crisis, Americans should know that Barack Obama remains opposed to additional domestic oil drilling. Speaker Pelosi, MoveOn.org and the Sierra Club can take comfort from the fact that Barack Obama still opposes additional domestic oil drilling. Meanwhile, the American people can be sure that John McCain will do what is necessary to reduce this country's dependence on Middle East oil and bring down prices at the pump."Click herefor the full statement.
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