Pelosi Calls for Energy Independence

May 8, 2007 Uncategorized 15

News from the Speaker

Pelosi: ‘Energy Independence is Essential to Reducing the Price at the Pump’  Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic Leaders held a press stake out this afternoon regarding the increase in gas prices.  Below is her opening statement:

This weekend, the nationwide average of $3.07 per gallon set a record – exceeding last August’s previous record.  And I’m particularly concerned because the highest price – $3.49 per gallon – is what is being charged in my district of San Francisco. With Memorial Day travel and the start of the summer driving season only a few weeks away, drivers are paying a heavy price for the Bush Administration’s failure to enact a comprehensive energy strategy. Years of the Bush Administration’s policies that have favored Big Oil over the consumers have resulted in record dependence on foreign oil, leaving American families and businesses to pay even higher prices. 

This Congress, under the Democratic leadership, is working to make up for years of inaction, taking America in a new direction that helps bring down the cost of gas and promotes energy independence.  Energy independence is essential to reducing the price at the pump.In the first 100 hours of the new Congress, the House passed legislation to roll back $14 billion in subsidies for Big Oil, when Big Oil was already enjoying record profits.  Our proposal reinvests that money at home in clean alternative fuels, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. 

A number of House committees are taking action, holding hearings over the next few weeks to take a comprehensive look at how we can fight price gouging; the development of clean alternative fuels; the impact our dependence on foreign oil has on our economy; and how we can put new technologies to use to achieve greater energy efficiency. I’ve asked Chairman Waxman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to look into this issue. 

Chairman Dingell of the Energy and Commerce Committee will quickly mark up the Stupak bill on price gouging. We have our Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming moving forward with its recommendations, and we have Mr. Conyers, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, having anti-trust hearings on the subject of Big Oil. 

We have elevated this issue by creating the Select Committee, and we will make this July 4th Energy Independence Day with a package that will do the following things:  provide economic incentives to develop and use clean alternative fuels; help our nation’s farmers fuel our energy independence – we will send our energy dollars to the Midwest not the Middle East; encourage an energy innovation economy that will create new jobs and help small business; and enhance technology driven energy efficiency. We will lead our nation in a new direction toward energy independence that strengthens both our economic and national security.

15 Comments

  2. Gas prices here are among the highest in the nation. Its noteworthy.

    And, the speaker’s office has added our blog to their press list. Cool huh!?

  3. Matt,

    All politics is local. State and national issues affect us locally in Orange County. Just because this blog is TheLiberalOC does not mean we ignore issues that are not solely related to Orange County. That would be silly, maybe stubborn or ignorant. Over here at TheLiberalOC we choose to view Orange County as part of a greater community, rather than the center of the universe.

  4. My comment wasn’t really specific to this post, but more to how there’s hardly any Orange County news here anymore. Run the blog how you guys like. I used to find out OC information I didn’t see elsewhere.

  5. I disagree; we strive to show the OC angle even if its that Loretta Sanchez on is on the Armed Services committee and there’s a pending vote. The stuff that has no OC connection helps other OC liberals with their talking points. And it also shows how conservatives/Republicans/right wingers in OC are slightly out of the mainstream even though I know you will disagree with me on that

  6. The stuff that has no OC connection helps other OC liberals with their talking points.

    “Talking points,” eh? I’ll remember that one next time my arguments here are dismissed as toeing the Republicn line or repeating GOP talking points.

  8. Actually, this site seems to be improving very steadily, with a good mix of local angles and some of the broader stories that we might not see in our media-barren county. I’m really pleased by the overall quantity of the posts and the way that comments seem to be picking up.

    It’s certainly a lot more interesting than the Republican insider baseball on OC Blog.

  10. It’s certainly a lot more interesting than the Republican insider baseball on OC Blog.

    Yeah — who wants to know what those Republicans are up to. We’re so irrelevant here in Orange County.

  11. Matt —
    even the Register’s editorial pages and columnists are very Republican inside baseball. How often does Mickadeit refer to GOP insiders by last name only? And when was the last time Frank had a good word to say about any Democrat?

    About the only exception to the rule is the OC Weekly and the OC Metro “from the left” column (but even that depends on who’s on the left.)

    This site is here to show liberals and Democrats that we’re not irrelevant in this county.

    You have an excellent site. But its the open debate in the comments than makes it really good. And we welcome your comments for debate here.

  12. Run this blog however you guys want, guys. I was only pointing out there’s much less OC news and info here than there used to be.

  13. PLease do; facts are stubborn things, not stupid things

    I’m glad to know you think that, too.

  14. Matt — I disagree; most of the posts here have an OC connection and with the accelerated presidential cycle compbined with OC’s ATM tag, most of it is fair game. I think its good to get outside the bubble everynow and then to see what the rest of the country thinks.

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