Jack Kingston

Jack returned to Washington to take part in the historic floor protest launched by House Republicans to call on Speaker Pelosi to reconvene Congress for a vote on legislation that would lower gas prices and allow America to realize her energy independence.

While the protest is in its seventeenth day, Jack has been unable to travel due to doctor’s orders after having back surgery in early August.  Back on his feet, Jack carried to Washington the stories of hard working Georgians who are suffering under high gas prices.

To view Jack in today’s press conference, click below:

The nation’s largest trade association for the trucking industry is planning to endorse an energy proposal Jack cosponsored.  According to the release:

If enacted, The National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act would enhance the United States’ path toward energy independence and security by increasing the production of domestic energy sources as well as dedicating funds to renewable energy research and development. 

The trucking industry is experiencing the highest prolonged fuel prices in history. For most motor carriers, fuel has surpassed labor as their largest expense. It currently costs $1,400 to fill a typical tractor trailer’s fuel tanks.  Fuel cost increases ultimately increase the cost of everything delivered by truck.

To read the release, click here.

“Congressman Jack Kingston thinks its time for a real debate to happen, and a vote to be taken, on offshore drilling in America.

That was the topic Kingston discussed at the Richmond Hill Rotary Club meeting Thursday afternoon.

He focused on “conservation, innovation and exploration” as the three components to help with energy issues….” Read more.

A report released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that American consumption of oil dropped by 800,000 barrells per day (bbl/d) yet worlwide consumption grew by 500,000 bbl/d.  Why?  Developing nations are using more - 1.3 million bbl/d more.

If we want to reduce prices here in the states, we cannot rely alone on conservation efforts and we definitely can’t rely on the do-nothing position of Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid.  We’ve got to increase our domestic supply if we’re going to bring down the price at the pump.

In order to achieve our energy independence and bring American control to American energy prices, we’ve got to move forward with a three-part strategy of conservation of existing resources, exploration of American energy, and innovation in new vehicle and alternative fuel production.

To read today’s report, click here.

The Politico is reporting that House Democrat leaders are finally having a conference call to figure out what to do about America’s energy crisis:

“Party leaders in the House are expected to convene a conference call on Wednesday to discuss their options in the ongoing energy debate, including a potential compromise measure that could include some expanded permitting for oil and gas exploration, a leadership aide said Tuesday.

But the details remain very hazy, Democratic insiders suggest, because leaders have not settled on an exact course of action and may wait until lawmakers return to Washington next month before finalizing a legislative package.” (Full story here)

You read that right, Speaker Pelosi isn’t sure what she’s going to do.  Unlike most Americans who’ve been struggling with high gas prices for quite a while, Speaker Pelosi can rely on taxpayers to fund her travel expenses.  House Republicans, on the other hand, have been demanding action on energy while Pelosi felt it was more important to name post offices, congratulate football players, and push through paybacks to big labor.

Infact, it’s been three years since Jack offered a bipartisan solution to our energy crisis.  Back in 2005, he teamed up with Democrat Eliot Engel of New York to promote conservation, alternative energy production, and research in new vehicle technologies.  That bill, The DRIVE Act has yet to see action.

Three years later, we haven’t given up the fight and neither have House Republicans who refuse to be shut down and continue their call to action on the House floor.  Even as Speaker Pelosi has shut down the lights and cameras, House Republicans refuse to be silenced.  Although their efforts cannot be broadcasted, Americans from across the nation have been welcomed to the floor of the people’s house and Republican Leader John Boehner’s office is live blogging the efforts here.

To learn more about what Jack’s doing on energy prices click here.  If you haven’t done so already, take his energy survey by clicking here.

To visit the House Republican Conference’s energy website, click below:

Today’s Washington Post editorial debunks three myths circulated by the anti-energy independence crowd.

While the paper is not known to be a friend to conservatives, it comes to the same conclusion House Republicans are debating on the House floor today: 

“[T]he United States can no longer afford to turn its back on finding all the sources of fuel necessary to maintain its economy and its standard of living…”

The three myths debunked by the Post are:

• Drilling is pointless because the United States has only 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves. This is a misleading because it refers only to known oil reserves. According to the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS), while there are an estimated 18 billion barrels of oil in the off-limits portions of the OCS, those estimates were made using old data from now-outdated seismic equipment. In the case of the Atlantic Ocean, the data were collected before Congress imposed a moratorium on offshore drilling in 1981. In 1987, the MMS estimated that there were 9 billion barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. By 2006, after major advances in seismic technology and deepwater drilling techniques, the MMS resource estimate for that area had ballooned to 45 billion barrels. In short, there could be much more oil under the sea than previously known. The demand for energy is going up, not down. And for a long time, even as alternative sources of energy are developed, more oil will be needed.

• The oil companies aren’t using the leases they already have. According to the MMS, there were 7,457 active leases as of June 8. Of those, only 1,877 were classified as “producing.” As we pointed out in a previous editorial, the five leases that have made up the Shell Perdido project off Galveston since 1996 are not classified as producing. Only when it starts pumping the equivalent of an estimated 130,000 barrels of oil a day at the end of the decade will it be deemed “active.” Since 1996, Shell has paid rent on the leases; filed and had approved numerous reports with the MMS, including an environmentally sensitive resource development plan and an oil spill recovery plan that is subject to unannounced practice runs by the MMS; drilled several wells to explore the area at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars; and started constructing the necessary infrastructure to bring the oil to market. The notion that oil companies are just sitting on oil leases is a myth. With oil prices still above $100 a barrel, that charge never made sense.

• Drilling is environmentally dangerous. Opposition to offshore drilling goes back to 1969, when 80,000 barrels of oil from an offshore oil well blowout washed up on the beaches of Santa Barbara. In 1971, the Interior Department instituted a host of reporting requirements (such as the resource development and oil spill recovery plans mentioned above) and stringent safety measures. Chief among them is a requirement for each well to have an automatic shut-off valve beneath the ocean floor that can also be operated manually. According to the MMS, between 1993 and 2007, there were 651 spills of all sizes at OCS facilities (in federal waters three miles or more offshore) that released 47,800 barrels of oil. With 7.5 billion barrels of oil produced in that time, that equates to 1 barrel of oil spilled per 156,900 barrels produced. That’s not to minimize the danger. But no form of energy is perfect or without trade-offs. Besides, if it is acceptable to drill in the Caspian Sea and in developing countries such as Nigeria where environmental concerns are equally important, it’s hard to explain why the United States should rule out drilling off its own coasts.

To read the full article, click here.

The thoughts and prayers of our office remain with the people of the nation of Georgia.  We hope for a lasting peace and a speedy recovery for those areas and those people hurt by the violence.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why Speaker Pelosi doesn’t care to even have a vote on domestic energy production?  It’s the top priority of Americans all over our nation yet our third-highest ranking public official refuses to even allow a vote.  Seems strange, eh?

It’s all put into perspective when you think about how she travels.  Let’s flashback to February of last year when it was revealed that Speaker Pelosi couldn’t settle for the same aircraft that carried her predecessor (Jack’s blog post here).  No, that’s just not good enough for her.  Instead, she needed a C-32 which boasts the same size and frame as a Boeing 757-200.  Though it’s capable of carrying 300 people, Pelosi’s plane has been modified to accomodate just 42 business class seats, it’s also got a wood paneled state room, big screen televisions, a full sized bed and a crew of 16 some of whom are uniformed stewards who will bring you something to eat or drink (that’s right, it’s got an open bar) upon request.

How much does that cost?  An estimated $15,000 an hour and up to $300,000 each time she takes a trip to her San Francisco mansion.  Per chance, would you care to guess who pays for that?  THE SAME PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO PAY FOR $4.00/GALLON GAS!

Pelosi Air Service

But when she’s not crusing the skies, she’s obviously in one of those energy efficient vehicles she touts as the only way to get us out of the current energy crisis, right?  WRONG!  She’s riding around in an Chevy Suburban.  Not that there’s anything wrong with those but take one guess who’s paying for it - you got it YOU. 

Pelosi Car Service

Speaker Pelosi’s not doing anything about gas prices because she doesn’t have to face the struggle every most Americans endure to make ends meet as the economy continues to slug and gas prices continue to rise.

So while hard working Americans are struggling to make ends meet and House Republicans continue our protest (DAY 7) for Speaker Pelosi’s refusal to act, what’s the Speaker of the House doing that’s so important?  Promoting her new book.  That makes sense, doesn’t it?

For more information on what Jack’s doing about gas prices, click here.  For more information on House Republicans and our refusal to stand down until Pelosi allows a vote, click here.

KINGSTON NAMED ‘FRIEND OF THE AMERICAN MOTORIST’
Earns perfect score on ‘Freedom from Foreign Oil’ scorecard

Congressman Jack Kingston (R/GA-1) today was named a “Friend of the American Motorist” by the grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity (AFP).  The designation came after the group of nearly 300,000 citizens released its “Freedom from Foreign Oil” scorecard which ranks U.S. Representatives based on their support for – or opposition to – policies that would lower gas and energy prices by increasing American supplies and making domestic production less expensive.

“Advancing policies that limit U.S. energy production and supplies puts our national security in jeopardy and costs American families and businesses dearly,” said AFP President Tim Phillips.  “Expanding American oil and natural gas production is essential to alleviating pain at the pump.  Our ‘Freedom from Foreign Oil’ scorecard shows that Congressman Kingston has a solid and consistent track record as a leader who supports legislation that will decrease our costly and dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”

The “Freedom from Foreign Oil” scorecard ranks lawmakers based on a composite score of eight roll call votes and co-sponsorships of three initiatives that would positively or negatively impact gas and energy prices.  Co-sponsorships of bills that would open America’s domestic energy sources were scored positively, while those that would continue restricting them were scored negatively.

The group ranked all 435 members of Congress and, while Congressman Kingston earned a perfect score, nearly half were named “Friends of Foreign Oil” for their support of policies that continue America’s dependence on foreign oil and hamstring efforts to bring down the price at the pump.

“Fighting high energy prices isn’t a partisan issue – it’s one every American must take up,” Congressman Kingston said.  “I appreciate Americans for Prosperity’s recognition of my efforts to bring relief to hard-working families.  I will continue my work to advocate for producing more American energy as the first step towards bringing down the price at the pump.”

Congressman Kingston has also been a long-time advocate for promoting alternative energy and the conservation of existing supplies.  Since 2005, he has teamed with Representative Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat, to promote bipartisanship on the issue.

“If we truly want to realize our energy independence,” said Congressman Kingston, “we must make exploration part of a three-pronged approach that also increases innovation in alternative energy and promotes conservation of existing supplies.”
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The energy crunch is hurting us all and one area that, at least over the summer, has recieved far too little attention is the impact of high energy prices on schools.

To help give a voice to educators, students, and parents across the nation, the House Committee on Education and Labor Republicans led by Ranking Member Buck McKeon have launched an energy survey.  To help policymakers understand the scope of the problem, Republicans are seeking input from school officials, teachers, families, and communities about how high energy prices will impact the coming school year.

To learn more about the survey, read the press release announcing its launch here.  To take the survey, click below:

Take the Back to School Energy Survey

If you haven’t done so already, click here to take Jack’s energy survey or click here to learn more about Jack’s efforts to realize America’s fuel independence.

The Albany Herald is reporting that Plant Mitchell may convert to biomass (full story here).

Georgia Power, the company the operates the plant, announced the possibility on Friday when it submitted its Diverse Energy Plan to the Georgia Public Service Commission.

Accoring to the article, the plant has 12 million tons of surpluss wood biomass within a 100-mile radius.  If the plan’s approved, it would create up to 75 new jobs in forestry and transportation and would reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions.  If everything goes according to plan, the new biomass-fired power plant would be up and running within 14 months of April 2010.

This is another example of how Georgians are at the forefront of meeting the challenge to innovate in alternative energy and energy-saving technologies.  Even as Speaker Pelosi refuses to act, we will not be halted.

For more information on what Jack’s doing to help realize America’s fuel independence, click here.

As the world prepares for the Beijing Olympics, we thought it’d be nice to share with you two Olympians who hail from the First District.

Cheryl Haworth

Cheryl is from Savannah and is participating in the USA Weighlifting Team.  To view her profile on the U.S. Olympic Committee’s website, click here. 

DeLisha Milton-Jones

DeLisha is from Riceboro and is a professional WNBA player.  To view her profile on the WNBA’s website, click here.

The Kingston office wishes both of these fine athletes, and the entire Team U.S.A., the best of luck in Beijing!  For more information on Team U.S.A., click here.

On Friday August 1, 2008, at 11:23 a.m., your Democrat majority in the House of Representatives adjourned the House for five full weeks.
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House Republicans believe that Congress should not go on vacation until we take action to lower gas and energy prices for struggling American families.
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For the last two months we and our House Republican colleagues have used every tool at our disposal to try and get you and your Democrat majority to vote on legislation to lower gas and energy prices by expanding environmentally sound domestic production of oil and natural gas, improving energy efficiency, and encouraging the development of alternative energy technologies.
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Many of the proposals we have asked you and your Democrat majority to allow us to vote on are bipartisan proposals that we believe would enjoy the support of a majority of the Members of the Congress. Yet because you and your Democrat Leadership personally oppose these proposals, you are not allowing them to come up for a vote.  This past Sunday, you even told George Stephanopoulos that you will never allow this vote to occur (see transcript on the reverse).
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In protest of you and your Democrat majority not allowing an up or down vote on producing more American energy, we and our House Republican colleagues were prepared to take to the floor on Friday, August 1, 2008, and speak to the nation. Rather than allowing that to happen you and your Democrat majority adjourned the House, turned off the television cameras, shut off the microphones and turned out the lights. Nearly 50 House Republicans remained on the floor of the House in defiance speaking to those citizens gathered in the galleries and to the media.
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Today we have again returned to the Capitol to continue speaking to the thousands of Americans from all across our country who are visiting the Capitol. We would have preferred if instead we were joined by our colleagues to have a true debate on this issue that ended in an up or down vote.�
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We think it is unconscionable that Congress has gone on vacation before we have addressed the high gas prices that are crippling our economy and hurting millions of families.  We are asking that you reconvene the House from your five-week vacation and schedule a vote on legislation to increase American energy production. Let us be clear, we are not asking for a guaranteed outcome, just the chance to vote.
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Signed by: John Boehner, Republican Leader; Roy Blunt, Republican Whip; Adam Putnam, Republican Conference Chairman; Eric Cantor, Chief Deputy Whip; and Members of the House Republican Conference�
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HISTORIC VETERANS LEGISLATION PASSES THE HOUSE
Congressman Kingston praises increased funding for medical services, new facilities

The U.S. House of Representatives today approved a veterans funding at historic levels.  Congressman Jack Kingston (R/GA-1), a member of the House Appropriations Committee which drafted the measure, praised the passage of the bill.

“With the tenth-largest population of veterans, this funding is crucial for the First District.  From record-setting funding for medical services that will address new areas of need to additional resources that will help break the logjam in claims processing, this bill is essential to honoring the service of our brave troops,” Congressman Kingston said.  “My office has always had a strong emphasis on supporting our veterans and we are honored to have so many in our district.”

The bill, which passed the House today by a vote of 409-4, provides $47.7 billion for veterans’ medical care, claims processors, and facility improvements.  It is an increase of nearly $5 billion over last year’s funding and nearly $3 billion over the President’s request.

Medical services, which receives the majority of funding, provides focus on enrolling currently uninsured veterans, substantial investments in mental health and substance abuse, assistance for homeless veterans, and new generation prosthetics.  It also fully funds the increased travel reimbursement for veterans who must drive long distances to access the health care.

“As the needs of our veterans evolve, so must the system which provides their care,” said Congressman Kingston.  “Our troops provide our nation with world class service and we should provide them with world class health care.”

The bill also provides $5 billion in funding for ongoing maintenance and renovations of existing facilities to address identified shortfalls and to ensure the Department’s facilities remain capable of performing their duties.  In addition, the bill provides $1.9 billion to fund the recommendations made by the Capitol Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES).

“The construction section of the bill provides funding for the new Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Hinesville and Brunswick,” Congressman Kingston said.  “Both of these should be opened within a year and will provide relief from long drives many veterans must face to receive their care.  While securing funding for these facilities was a great success, I’m still pushing for a clinic in Waycross and will continue working with the VA to get that done.”

Other veterans funding contained in the bill includes $165 million for extended care facilities, $87.8 million to provide for oversight activities including inspections of veterans facilities, and $55.5 million for the care and operation of our military monuments and cemeteries around the world.

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