The instability in gas prices has grown out of decades of poor energy policy in the United States. Because the United States imports a significant percentage of its petroleum needs, we are dependent on foreign sources of oil and therefore left subject to the fluctuations in the market caused by conflicts in regions with high oil supply, foreign political environments that are unfriendly to the United States, and the dramatic increase in demand for oil on the world market as the populations and economies of countries like China and India rapidly expand.
A long-term reduction in energy prices will require the United States to become energy independent. Unfortunately, for many decades both Democrats and Republicans have been reluctant to commit to achieving a long-term energy solution, a commitment that requires a willingness to both pursue domestic sources of oil and invest in new alternative and renewable energy sources. Decades of implementing poor energy policy have forced our nation into a dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and it is no wonder that we find ourselves in a world now where gas prices above $3 a gallon or more have become the norm.
As a member of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for public lands and offshore oil production, I strongly believe that it is not too late to develop comprehensive energy policies that will achieve energy independence and bring stability to gas prices. I am willing to look at all the options and am working with my colleagues in Congress to find a comprehensive solution. For example, I believe that we should immediately allow greater responsible exploration and development of domestic sources of oil and natural gas in small sections of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), on the Outer Continental Shelf, and on public lands.
I also think that investing in and developing renewable and alternative sources of energy should be a national priority, and, as a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, I have supported a number of bills to increase our investment in research and development of clean burning, renewable energy. I have also supported limiting the amount of oil we put into the strategic oil reserves when oil prices are high. Additionally, I believe that we should implement more aggressive government oversight of oil and gas companies while providing incentives for those companies to invest in alternative energy development and production with their profits. And I am convinced now more than ever that a renewed commitment to nuclear power is vital to our nation’s energy and national security.
Ultimately, I believe that as Americans we must fundamentally change the way we consume energy. We cannot sustain our current level of energy waste and consumption, and reducing consumption will require changing the way we build our communities, the way we transport goods and people, and, simply put, the way we think. Getting good information into the hands of consumers and providing incentives for changing the way we use gas and other resources is key. In fact, reduced consumption may be the best short-term way to bring gas prices down.
As Congress considers proposals to provide temporary relief from gas prices and long-term solutions to the current energy crisis, I will continue to support meaningful and effective energy legislation.
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