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Domestic Energy Production

The United States has already taken steps to increase domestic drilling. Since 2000, the number of wells drilled on federal land has increased by 66 percent, from 3,000 wells to nearly 5,000.

I have voted several times in support of drilling here in the U.S. In December 2006, Congress approved and the President signed into law legislation (P.L. 109-432) which opened 8.3 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to the west of Florida to oil and gas leases. I voted for this legislation.

On September 16, 2008, I voted for H.R. 6899, the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 236 to 189. This legislation now awaits Senate consideration.

The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act would open at least 319 million acres on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and 22.6 million acres in Alaska to drilling. The bill would also invest in alternative energy sources like wind, solar, and biomass, to help end our addition to oil. The legislation would also end the billions in taxpayer subsidies to the world’s largest oil companies when they are making record profits. A federal ban on oil and gas drilling in and under the Great Lakes would remain in place.

Also, on September 24, 2008, I voted for the Continuing Resolution (H.R. 2638), which would end the ban on OCS drilling that has been in place since 1981. As a result, drilling will be allowed to take place anywhere off the east or west coast of America more than three miles from shore.

H.R. 2638, which also extended funding for government agencies through March 2009 so the Congress has more time to complete its yearly appropriations bills, passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 370 to 58. On September 30, 2008, the President signed the Continuing Resolution (P.L 110-329) into law.

While I support responsible domestic drilling, the U.S. cannot drill its way out of high energy prices. The United States has less than 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, but uses 24 percent of the world’s oil.

In addition to encouraging domestic production on lands already available, we must also improve energy efficiency and increase our renewable energy use. Congress made a good start when the House passed the Energy Independence bill, which became law on December 19, 2007. The bill included incentives to improve energy efficiency for appliances, lighting and buildings, increased vehicle efficiency standards, and promoted the production and use of alternative fuels.

Much more must be done to diversify our energy use. Congress must work to promote alternative energy sources such as ethanol, biodiesel, wind, solar, geothermal, and nuclear to help reduce our dependence on foreign energy. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I will continue to work to diversify our nation’s energy portfolio, to help ease high energy prices.