Pain at the Pump

Floor Speech

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, we've all had to dig a little deeper in our pocketbooks when visiting the gas station lately. Gas has now reached $4 a gallon in my district. Combined with the stubbornly high unemployment rate in Michigan, I know my constituents are hurting. However, the pain at the pump has sparked more conversations than ever about domestic energy development. Even the harshest of critics are starting to realize that American oil, American gas, and American coal are viable solutions to our energy crisis, with countless numbers of benefits.

The time is ripe for our country to embark on a new chapter in energy production, American energy, an overhaul of this, if you will. Right now we're faced with an abundance of expansion possibilities all there for the taking. New developments in science and technology make this possible. You've probably heard of at least a few terms like ``fracking,'' ``3D mapping,'' and ``horizontal drilling.'' These new practices allow producers to easily extract natural gas, coal, and oil from the ground, all while doing it cheaper, safer, and with less disruption to the landscape above. So why has this administration, contrary to their rhetoric, chosen to obstruct progress, energy independence, and security for our Nation?

House Republicans remain committed to addressing this abundance of energy production and development. That's why we're trying to open up new areas for exploration and development. American energy production is good for the economy because it creates American jobs; it's good for the deficit because of new American royalties; and it's good for our manufacturing because it brings American energy costs down.

If President Obama had chosen to acknowledge this reality 3 years ago, we'd already be seeing more American jobs and cheaper energy. Instead, he has chosen to do little, sometimes even standing in the way of potential growth by letting Big Government be the arbiter of job creation. For proof, just look at the Solyndra fiasco, the rejected Keystone pipeline project, or mounting job-killing EPA regulations.

The private sector, not government, is and will always remain the real job creator for our country. If producers are given more liberty to pursue these techniques, it could put America in a position to become one of the largest energy producers in the world. And why not? We're America. And that would mean more money, more jobs, greater security, and you can bet, lower energy prices.

Source