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Office Locations
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Office Locations
Washington D.C. Office
2264 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515Cullman District Office
205 Fourth Ave. NE, Ste 104
Cullman, AL 35055Serving Cullman, Blount, Morgan and Marshall (City of Arab) Counties
Decatur District Office
Morgan County Courthouse
Post Office Box 668
Decatur, AL 35602Serving Morgan County
Gadsden District Office
107 Federal Building
600 Broad Street
Gadsden, AL 35901Serving Etowah, DeKalb, Marshall (Excluding Arab) and St. Clair Counties
Jasper District Office
247 Carl Elliott Building
1710 Alabama Avenue
Jasper, AL 35501Serving Walker, Winston, Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens and Franklin Counties
Energy
Energy becomes a more important topic each and every day, but, it goes beyond the price you pay for gas at the pump. It also has an impact on our national security.
The economic security and stability of the United States is threatened by our increasing dependence on foreign oil, especially from countries with unstable governments. We can’t continue to rely on countries such as Iran or Venezuela to supply our energy needs. Any disruption in the U.S. energy supply could have devastating impacts on the economy of the United States
It's critical that we begin to address this problem now. Unfortunately it seems that the only time that we are willing to discuss this issue as a nation is when it begins to hit us at the gas pumps. This is a long-term problem that's going to require a long-term solution.
First, I believe we need to explore alternative fuel options. Whether it's ethanol for our cars or biodiesel for our trucks, we need options. But, we need to ensure that these options are readily available and that they meet the needs of consumers.
Second, domestic energy production needs to be increased. The United States currently has oil deposits that are not being utilized, and that doesn't make any sense. One such site, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), has enough oil that it could power Alabama for 103 years according to the government. There are also deposits off of the U.S. coast that are just sitting there. I believe there is a way that we can utilize these deposits without any drastic disruption of our environment.
Finally, there's a role for conservation in the process as well. America needs to take a hard look at how much oil we consume. If consumption continues at its current rate, we can expect to see problems for years to come.
These are just a few pieces of our energy puzzle though. We can tap into these energy resources in a clean, environmentally sensitive way. With the adoption of a comprehensive national strategy, we have the ability to control our own energy future. But to do so, we must act today.