As the last several weeks have indicated, the only crisis larger than the current financial meltdown is the crisis of leadership in Washington. The one thing our leaders in Congress have managed to live up to is their record low approval ratings.
Unfortunately, this failure of leadership extends far beyond the Wall Street dilemma and impacts another pressing crisis as well: the energy issue.
As ALG News Bureau has covered extensively, Congress has been all but eager to expedite the drilling process and help ease the burden Americans are forced to deal with everyday at the pump. Although allowing the federal moratorium on offshore drilling to expire on October 1st represented a clear step forward for Operation Independence, it does not seal the deal. Leases need to be issued and bureaucratic obstacles must be overcome before any actual oil is drilled from America’s reserves.
Fortunately for Americans, a number of Republican leaders have risen up to tackle this issue and inform both the general public and policymakers of the urgent steps required to move the now-legalized drilling process along. These individuals have stepped up to fill the ever-widening vacuum of leadership in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
House Republican Leader John Boehner (OH) is one individual who has provided crucial leadership and helped spearhead this latest effort to move drilling from the realm of the hypothetical—as it currently stands—into the realm of reality.
In a letter sent last Thursday to the Secretary of the Interior, Rep. Boehner and a host of other Republicans urged that drastic and immediate action be taken so Americans “can reap the benefits” of the newly opened offshore and oil shale reserves as soon as possible. As he said:
“The more quickly we can increase domestic energy production, the more quickly we can boost our flagging economy, increase economic growth and jobs, and bring relief to energy-strapped Americans struggling with high gas prices and rising utility bills.”
The letter goes on to state the concerns regarding “federal red tape” and “bureaucratic hurdles” that exist which stand in the way of Americans gaining quick access to American oil resources. The letter concludes with the following clear and direct request:
“We respectfully request that you quickly provide a detailed list of any potential bureaucratic barriers and identify any potential litigation that may unnecessarily prevent the American people from having prompt access to, or reaping the benefits from, these newly-liberated sources of American-made energy. We also request that you identify any responsible actions that might be taken by Congress in order to ensure these resources are fully and completely unlocked in the most expeditious manner possible.”
Another Republican from the Senate who has been echoing these concerns is Jim DeMint of South Carolina. As he explained in his plan for economic growth, an expired ban on drilling is useless if there are no leases issued and no legislation passed to give oil companies the green light to drill.
It is reassuring to know that some members of Congress haven’t let the euphoria of American Energy Freedom Day drill their common sense.
For Democrats in Congress, the current drop in gas prices—even though miniscule—means energy is no longer of concern. This is a blatant false narrative. In their eyes, $4.00 a gallon may be bad…but $3.65 is just fine. The truth is, both prices cripple the American people and either price should be an indication that drastic action still needs to be taken.
To expect demand for oil to trend downwards would be foolish. Demand for oil has nowhere to go but up in the future as the population and economy both grow. And as demand rises the price at the pump will follow suit. By neglecting to take action to expedite the domestic energy production, our leaders are burying their heads in the sand and ignoring that gas prices are still a problem in America.
It’s time for John McCain and other prominent leaders, both Republican and Democrat, to stand up and push for a comprehensive energy policy that acts quickly to enable immediate drilling. Republicans have already proposed a bill in the “all of the above” American Energy Act that would accomplish not just this, but also put America on a path towards realistic alternate sources of energy. McCain needs to join leaders like Boehner and DeMint to bring energy freedom to the American people and bring it soon.
The reality is that while Congress may fool the American people with their all-too-hesitant stance on drilling, the markets will never be fooled. Simply put, the markets will not respond to a government that continually drags its feet on energy. America needs leaders, not pretenders.
