[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3947]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     PASS A COMMONSENSE ENERGY PLAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Walberg) for 2 minutes.
  Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, let me cut to the point. Gas prices have 
skyrocketed at the worst possible time, the economy is in a slump, and 
people are hurting. The administration and congressional Democrats are 
making the problem worse with their burdensome energy regulations that 
destroy jobs and drive up costs. Democrats and the White House are 
blocking commonsense reforms that would allow for more targeted energy 
exploration here at home, which would lead to lower gas prices and 
additional job creation and greater security.
  Three weeks ago, I had the privilege of sitting in the office of 
Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. He expressed great appreciation for 
America, but also ended by saying that he was greatly concerned that 
America was unwilling at this time to do what was necessary to make 
sure that we had an energy plan of independence from, as he called it, 
the earthquake zone of the Middle East. And I agree. So I am joining 
with my colleagues, my Republican colleagues, their common sense and 
pro-growth, in proposing an alternative.
  I believe we should allow for more exploration in Alaska, so I 
cosponsored H.R. 49, the American Energy Independence and Price 
Reduction Act. I believe we should pass an all-of-the-above energy 
plan. So that is why I am becoming an original cosponsor of H.R. 909, A 
Road Map to America's Energy Future. And the government should stop the 
painfully slow permitting process for drilling in the gulf, so I joined 
with Representative Scalise and others of my colleagues in the House to 
urge the President to do just that.
  Mr. Speaker, the current energy policy is one of overregulation, and 
it is not working. We must work to change that now. I stand ready to 
work with my colleagues to created an energy policy that lowers energy 
prices and allows for more job creation. The people of my district and 
of this great country are demanding nothing less.

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