Energy

Energy

Energy Independence

Affordable energy is essential for economic growth and the wellbeing of American families. To help make energy more affordable—and create jobs in the process—Congress should enact a comprehensive national energy policy.

To ease the pain at the pump and at the electric meter—and to free our nation from dependence on foreign oil—we must work toward energy independence. We must develop new supplies of American energy, including oil, natural gas, and coal. That means exploring for oil in Alaska, on the Outer Continental Shelf and in shale formations in the West.  We should encourage the development of technologies that allow us to use our vast supply of coal in a more environmentally-responsible manner. And we should continue to develop our massive natural gas reserves. 

We must also develop and deploy alternative energy sources and technologies including wind, solar, geothermal and biomass energy. Reliable, emission-free nuclear power must also be part of the equation, and we should work to dispose of waste through a central disposal site or by reprocessing.

Obtaining energy independence is a key component to economic recovery. Click here to learn basic ways you can conserve energy and reduce your energy bills at home.

Cap-and-Tax

In an effort to penalize those who use carbon-intensive energy, particularly coal, some in Congress are trying to enact a so-called “cap-and-tax” system or a national carbon tax to lower greenhouse gas emissions.  You can be certain that I will be outspoken in my opposition to this proposal.  A national energy tax would devastate our economy, raising consumers’ energy bills and making everything produced in the United States more expensive, thus reducing our global competitiveness.  This will cost American jobs, particularly in the manufacturing sector and I won’t stand idly by and watch it happen. 
 
On June 26, 2009, when Congress considered H.R. 2454, I voted and spoke in opposition to this proposal.  You can click here to read my speech on the House floor.  Although it passed in the House of Representatives, the Senate did not consider this proposal and it has yet to be considered again.