Energy
We need an all-of-the-above approach to energy, which includes more American produced oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear power, along with alternative sources that show a return on our investment.
For too long, the United States has lacked a coherent energy strategy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil, lowers costs and creates American jobs.
Unfortunately, my colleagues and I continue to face resistance on our “all of the above” energy approach that so many Americans believe is the solution. In this tough economy, families are struggling to make ends meet already, and the last thing they need is skyrocketing gas prices so early in the year. The businesses that deliver goods and services are also struggling with these high gas prices, trying to find room in their budgets just to keep going.
Yet to date, the federal government has wasted millions of dollars on failing and bankrupt solar energy companies like Solyndra, while rejecting the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would create 20,000 American jobs and be a crucial first step toward energy independence. I believe election-year politics was at the center of the decision to reject Keystone--especially when only two years ago, this Administration approved production of the Clipper Pipeline, that would transport oil from Canada to refineries in Wisconsin. When announcing the decision in 2009, the State Department touted the jobs that Clipper would create and mentioned how the pipeline would “serve a number of U.S. strategic interests.”
While the company behind Keystone has submitted a new application, the Chinese government has begun talks with Canada for the use of the oil in their country—this is unacceptable. By harnessing America’s energy capabilities, we could lower prices, create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and raise revenue to help tackle the $15 trillion national debt. The more energy we produce in America, the stronger we will be as a nation.