[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 36 (Thursday, March 10, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H1670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            PAIN AT THE PUMP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Nunnelee) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NUNNELEE. Mr. Speaker, frustrations are growing as Americans are 
feeling real pain at the pumps. The rising gas prices are a serious 
strain on an economy that is beginning to show small signs of recovery.
  Right now, the average gas price in Mississippi is $3.50 a gallon, 
and I don't think anybody would be surprised if that number continues 
to rise. Every time gas prices go up by one penny, that costs American 
consumers $4 million a day.
  Families in north Mississippi have been dealing with tight budgets 
for the last couple of years, and rising gas prices severely impact an 
already tightened family budget. We all know that ultimately gas prices 
will be passed on in higher prices to the consumer through higher 
transportation costs, increased costs of groceries and other 
commodities. When there is no extra money in the pocketbooks, there is 
certainly no padding in the family budget to accommodate this increase 
in the cost of living associated with higher gas prices.
  As turmoil in the Middle East continues, coupled with emerging demand 
for Third World developing countries that places demand on foreign 
energy demands, that's going to cause gas prices to further increase. 
This problem is serious, and it needs to be addressed now. It needs to 
be addressed through exploring more domestic energy production.
  However, President Obama has offered a short-term solution, tapping 
into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve 
is available for national emergencies at a time of crisis. 
Mississippians can all agree that when President Bush tapped into the 
strategic reserve during the aftermath of Katrina, it was in response 
to a serious supply disruption and an unforeseeable disaster.
  But if we draw down on these reserves when gas hits $4 a gallon, what 
will we do if the reserves are depleted and then a real emergency hits? 
The President's shortsighted answer to our rapidly increasing oil and 
gas prices does nothing to protect America from future energy prices 
skyrocketing, nor does it help lead toward American energy 
independence.
  From the beginning, the Obama administration has failed to initiate a 
serious energy policy. Instead, this administration has actively taken 
steps to block or delay American energy production, therefore making us 
more dependent on unstable foreign countries' oil production.

                              {time}  1010

  Recently, we remembered the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's 
inauguration. Following that inauguration, the President stood in this 
very Chamber and challenged our Nation to make it a national goal to 
place a man on the Moon and return him safely back to Earth before the 
decade is out. Today, we should make it a national priority that before 
the end of this decade, the United States should achieve energy 
security and energy independence. By actively producing our own energy 
resources, America will not only be independent from volatile regions 
of the world, but we will supply our own energy.
  Now there is no single ``silver bullet'' and Republicans support an 
all-of-the-above approach that includes more American oil, more 
American natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. We need to expand U.S. 
oil exploration immediately in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. The gulf 
produces nearly one-third of our domestic oil. Offshore natural gas 
produced in the gulf region accounts for 13 percent of the total U.S. 
production. However, a de facto moratorium still exists, even though 
the official moratorium was lifted last May and October.
  Not only has the gulf lost 12,000 quality jobs because of the 
moratorium, but these rigs are actively leaving that region and moving 
to foreign countries such as Cuba, Brazil and Mexico.
  In February, Federal Judge Feldman gave the Department of the 
Interior 30 days to rule on seven deepwater drilling permits. As of 
today, only one of those permits has been issued. That is simply 
inexcusable. This type of deliberate inaction and negligence fails to 
meet the needs of a struggling U.S. economy. That is why I'm a proud 
cosponsor of House Resolution 140, which calls for a streamlining of 
the permit process for shallow and deepwater drilling in the gulf.
  In 2008, President Obama put the entire Pacific coast, Atlantic coast 
and the eastern gulf coast off-limits to future energy production. This 
includes a large portion of Alaska's Outer Continental Shelf, even 
though expanding production would ultimately create upwards of 1.2 
million jobs and generate $8 trillion in economic output. That's why we 
must immediately begin a long-term energy policy and begin to drill 
today to deal with higher gas prices.
  I also believe that it is vitally important to invest in the 
development of clean coal technologies. Coal is our Nation's most 
abundant and affordable energy resource, and another way to energy 
independence is through economically and environmentally sound clean 
coal technology. President Obama has specifically said that he would 
bankrupt the coal industry through regulations and impossible 
standards.
  Democrats continue to operate an anti-business agenda and restrict 
the advancement of domestic energy development through regulations, 
moratoriums and increased taxes on American energy production. The 
President's 2012 budget includes over $60 billion in tax and fee 
increases on American energy production. This will only add to the 
burden of families and businesses.
  The current unrest in the Middle East only emphasizes the importance 
for America to develop more of its own domestic resources. American 
energy production can lower prices, create good jobs and decrease our 
reliability on foreign oil. We need to start paying Americans and stop 
funding our enemies.
  Our country has been blessed with clean and efficient energy 
resources. Let's stop putting unreasonable restrictions on our natural 
resources and allow America to claim energy independence.

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