[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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