Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 3:37 PM
With the recent news of the Fannie and Freddie takeover, it is vital that we take steps to ensure that taxpayers are protected as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Director of the new Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Jim Lockhart, launch their four part plan to stabilize the two mortgage giants.

On one hand, I’m satisfied that the FHFA is acting swiftly to secure the GSE’s, and is incrementally doing so to maximize American taxpayer protection. However, we must all be concerned and keep a watchful eye on the plan as it moves forward to ensure that already struggling taxpayers are not left footing the bill for this multi-billion-dollar bail-out program.

While monitoring the plans progress, it is vital that we reform the institutions so that the same thing doesn’t happen again in the future. I believe that once Fannie and Freddie are ready to be released from government control, they should be privatized. Similar to Ma Bell, we should break up the GSE’s and have smaller, privatized mortgage companies. By doing that, we will ensure that we do not go through this exercise in the years ahead. The bottom line is that the taxpayer must be fully protected while we work to stabilize the market.

Cross-posted at The Hill's Congress Blog



Monday, September 08, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 3:54 PM
Fresh off a month-long August recess – during which well over a hundred Republican House members returned to DC to demand a vote on a comprehensive energy strategy and constituents throughout the country demanded action from their Representatives, you would think Congress would come back ready to roll on energy, right?

WRONG!

Here's a sample of what we have on the agenda this week.
S.2837: A bill to designate the U.S. courthouse located at 225 Cadman Plaza East , Brooklyn, NY, as the "Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse"

H.R. 6475: Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2008
Throw in a couple of post office dedications and some other resolutions and bills, and let's call it a week.

While this legislation is all well and good, to still not address the energy challenges facing our nation is simply irresponsible.

Hopefully the Speaker will come to her senses in the 15 work days we have left before adjourning for the year.



Friday, September 05, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 11:53 AM
Today, I was flipping through Business Week magazine and came across an interview between CNBC's Closing Bell anchor Maria Bartiromo and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin conducted on August 25 and August 27 – even before Palin gained the national spotlight as a Vice Presidential nominee.

It's called Sarah Palin on the Energy Challenge Facing America. The online version has the complete interview while the magazine focuses squarely on energy. Read the online version here.

One of the most telling quotes from the magazine article:
"In Alaska, we’re bursting with billions of barrels of oil that are warehoused underground.  We have to pump [this oil] and feed our hungry markets instead of relying on foreign sources.”
She goes on to say:
“I think some in Congress have misconceptions about what ANWR [the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge] is all about and what Alaska is all about.”
And:
“No one cares more about Alaska’s wildlife and lands and water and air than Alaskans.  So, when Alaska says, ‘We’re ready, and we’re willing, and we’re able to develop, and we will make sure that wildlife is not adversely impacted,’ people have got to give us some credit here and respect our position on this.”

As Congress returns to work next week, it's vital that we hammer out a comprehensive energy strategy that expands exploration for oil and natural gas, as well as increases investment in energy alternatives and conservation. Governor Palin is right:  As the state most directly impacted by proposals to drill, Alaska’s input is important and shouldn’t be ignored.



Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 10:53 AM
Below is a letter that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in June urging him to pursue and pass a comprehensive energy plan for the American people. I give credit to Yid With Lid for originally posting about it back in June. It was recently reposted at Jewish Blogging.com.

I don't think you can have an elected official today better suited to discuss the pros and cons of increased energy production in Alaska than the state's Governor.

June 23, 2008
The Honorable Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
United States Senate
528 Hart Senate Office Building .
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senate Majority Leader Reid:

In previous correspondence to members of Congress, I have urged the enactment of legislation to authorize development of oil and natural gas in a small portion of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). I will not repeat the arguments in favor of this legislation but will briefly focus on a few key points that have become even more evident since my last correspondence.
Read More...



Thursday, August 28, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 5:07 PM
Editor-in-Chief of Popular Mechanics magazine placed a great op-ed in the October 2008 issue: Why Offshore Drilling Can Bridge Gap to U.S. Energy Future.

“Where would a more sensible energy policy start? Pickens is on the right track with his plan to increase use of natural gas. And McCain's call to allow more offshore drilling would significantly increase production. Alternatives such as wind or solar look better by the day, and, indeed, every major energy plan stresses them. But, it will take decades for the alternative-energy infrastructure to match our needs. We must have those offshore oil and gas reserves to bridge the gap.”

Give it a read by clicking here.

As Republicans in the House have been saying, it's going to take an All-of-the-Above approach to solve this crisis. As we get ready for the Labor Day weekend, a time when Americans usually like to get in one last summer get-away, remember that these high prices we're paying for gasoline (and will soon be paying for heat), could be dramatically lower. If we increase our supply domestically while doing what we can to conserve, the prices will have no where to go but down.



Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 12:48 PM
I wish I could have posted about this earlier, but on Saturday, the Minnesota Republican Caucus unveiled their Declaration of Energy Independence at the Minnesota State Fair.

Freedom Dogs posted about it on Saturday, and I recommend you give it a read.

One of the most alarming statistics the Caucus points out in their release is the steep rise in heating bills Minnesotans will be faced with this winter.

Early predictions for home heating bills this winter give a potential look at the cost of inaction by Democrat leadership.  Recent news reports cite natural gas bills growing to average $1,400 this winter, up from $1,000 last winter.  Making matters worse, some customers on monthly budget plans still owe bills from last year’s exceptionally cold temperatures.  They can expect increases of up to 80 percent according to natural gas providers.

So if gas prices weren't high enough, here come your heating bills. Even T. Boone Pickins, the Democrats' favorite oil man, is in favor of a substantial increase in the production of natural gas. In fact, he'd like to eventually see all cars running on natural gas which is an admirable goal, but one that can't happen if the 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Outer Continental Shelf is kept off-limits. Remember, this debate about drilling isn't only about oil but about natural gas to heat our homes and hopefully one day, fuel our cars.

I'm cautiously optimistic that when Congress reconvenes for its final three work weeks of the year, Speaker Pelosi will cast aside her partisanship and put forth a sensible and comprehensive energy plan. Yes to increased domestic drilling for oil and natural gas. Yes to investing in energy alternatives. And yes to conservation. However, all three legs of the stool must be be given equal consideration.




Friday, August 22, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 1:23 PM
As if Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team didn't get enough time off with their August recess, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is advocating a four-day work week to help federal employees who are struggling with high gasoline costs.

Hoyer’s proposal may help his constituents – his district is largely Washington, D.C. suburbs home to many federal employees – but it does nothing for Minnesotans and Americans all over the nation.  While I'm not knocking the benefits of increased conservation, this gimmick isn't necessary when there are real legislative solutions like the American Energy Act that not only promotes conservation, but also focuses on lowering energy prices by increasing safe, domestic energy production and by encouraging the development of alternative and renewable energy sources and technologies. 

We need a real solution to this energy crisis for all Americans, not just a band-aid for some.




Friday, August 22, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 11:59 AM
Newt Gingrich is featuring a new contest on his YouTube page that will make one talented movie producer a very lucky driver. Take a look.






Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 9:43 AM
The Minnesota Majority is circulating a petition urging your U.S. Representative and Senators to enact the American Energy Act (H.R. 6566) to "bring relief to American families and improve our energy and economic security."

I urge you to check out their site and sign. It's because of the pressure that Americans from around the country have been putting on Speaker Pelosi and her office that she is at least now considering a vote on increased energy production here in the U.S..

We must reduce our dependence on foreign oil and replace it with increased domestic production. It's smart national security policy and smart economic policy, reducing the costs of goods and services while creating jobs in the process. The American Energy Act offers the American people the ideal solution: increased domestic production, increased investment in renewable energies and technologies, and greater conservation. The problem is Speaker Pelosi won't allow it to come to a vote.

Minnesota's five Democrat Representatives voted with Speaker Pelosi to skip-town rather than take a vote on the American Energy Act.

Let's keep the pressure on Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats who are following her lock step.

Click here to sign the petition.


Friday, August 15, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 3:51 PM
Today, I joined my fellow Republicans on the floor of the House to continue our call for Speaker Pelosi to return Congress to work to vote on comprehensive energy reform.

Photobucket

Congress has had more than enough opportunities to consider energy legislation to cut our nation’s rising gas prices.  But, instead of acting, Speaker Pelosi and Democrat leadership ignored the cries of the American people and went on vacation.

Yesterday, I met with Lake Elmo firefighters to talk about how the energy crisis is impacting their ability to serve as first responders. And speaking with drivers yesterday filling up their cars in Stillwater, it is clear that Minnesotans are frustrated with Congress’ inaction on this issue. The high cost of gasoline is destroying local budgets and family budgets alike.

How long do the American people have to struggle before Speaker Pelosi takes notice?

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My Republican colleagues and I will continue to work in Congress and throughout August recess to see that families all across the nation get the help they need. Supporting the Republican solution for an All-of-the Above energy strategy is critical to help Minnesotans get back on their feet.


Thursday, August 14, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 12:19 PM
A couple of days late, but I wanted to get this Washington Post Editorial to all of you in case you missed it. It’s entitled, Snake Oil, and it debunks 3 myths about drilling that opponents are quick to offer as to why we should not be drilling for more oil here in the United States. While I don’t agree with some of it, especially their reservations about drilling in ANWR, the arguments they make to disprove these 3 myths are sound.

Myth 1: Drilling is pointless because the United States has only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves.
Myth 2: The oil companies aren't using the leases they already have.
Myth 3: Drilling is environmentally dangerous.

Read the article here.


Thursday, August 14, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 10:07 AM
Tomorrow I’ll be on the House floor taking part in the historic GOP revolt against the Democrats’ complete inaction on this energy crisis. Don’t bother to turn on C-SPAN to watch because Speaker Pelosi has made sure that the lights are off, the mikes are off, and the public can’t see or hear a thing.

Earlier this week on Larry King Live, Pelosi said she would consider a vote on some drilling if it were part of a larger energy package.  While Republicans are clearly making progress on a comprehensive energy strategy for the American people, more work still needs to be done.

Please call Speaker Pelosi at (202) 225-4965 and ask her to return the House to session NOW to consider serious energy legislation that not only pursues a greater investment in renewable energies and technologies, but also provides for increased domestic drilling in the OCS, the oil shale areas, and the 10-02 Area of ANWR. 


Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 2:14 PM
So much attention in this energy debate has been paid to the use of oil to fuel our cars and homes.  But oil has a lot of other uses in our daily lives. Tonight on the History channel's Modern Marvels, they will be airing a show entitled, Secrets of Oil.

Here's what the History Channel has for a teaser on their website:

"Rubber, Plastic, Nylon, Aerosols, Resins, Solvents, and Lubricants--none can exist without oil. If we stopped driving our cars tomorrow, America would still need five million barrels of oil a day. Visit Vulcan Materials, where oil tanks are emptied into massive double-barrel mixers to make asphalt and then continue to the Rolls Royce Aerospace Facility where complex jet fuels are blended. Travel back to the 1870's to see how an unemployed whale oil salesman turned a greasy oil-drilling by-product into a household staple: Vaseline. Finally discover how cutting-edge recycling techniques can breathe new life into used motor oil, and where a number of renewable fuels and technologies take aim at oil sovereignty."

Seems like an interesting twist to the same old debate about oil.



Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 4:50 PM
The nonpartisan Tax Foundation has made a pretty interesting case that those states with a forced employee/union system not only pay higher taxes than those states with Right to Work laws which protect employees from being fired for refusing to join or pay dues or fees to a union, but household incomes in Right to Work states are also higher.

This year, Americans celebrated their "Tax Freedom Day" on April 23. This is the day when Americans have earned enough money to cover their total federal, state, and local tax bill for the year, on average.

The Tax Foundation and U.S. Census Bureau data have found that in 2008, the average Tax Freedom Day in the 22 states with Right to Work laws was April 18, five days earlier than the national average. For the 28 non-Right to Work states as a group, their Tax Freedom Day came nine days later than the average in Right to Work states.

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In addition to a higher tax burden, forced-union states’ cost of living is higher as well. Economist Barry Poulson from the University of Colorado figured that living costs average nearly 18% higher in metro areas in non-Right to Work states than in Right to Work states.

Why?

The National Right to Work Committee says that "where forced dues are legal, union officials use their power to disrupt labor markets, jack up costs, and bankroll regulation-happy, Tax-and-Spend state legislators and governors."

Hopefully the Minnesota state legislature will come to understand the benefits of a Right-to-Work state and come on board for the sake of all Minnesotans.

For more information on the report, click here.




Friday, August 08, 2008
Posted by: Michele Bachmann at 2:32 PM
Check out this video that Americans for Prosperity shot on Tuesday at a MoveOn.org protest on drilling.



I think it's more than a coincidence that many are sporting Obama gear.  I think we can all agree that less supply and more demand is not a workable solution. 



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