Washington,
May 25 -
Congressman Jim Gerlach (PA-06) released the following statement today after voting against H.R. 5429, the American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act. Among other things, this legislation would open up a section of the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, known as ANWR, for oil drilling.
“There is certainly a need to increase our domestic energy supply in the short-term. For that reason, last week I supported the opening for energy development of our nation’s outer-continental shelf. This is a region where there will be minimal environmental impact from drilling and the proven technology we have will lead to a greater supply of fossil fuels than is believed to be contained below the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. ANWR takes our eye off the ball, does not meet our needs and is not environmentally responsible. We need to stay focused on conservation efforts including increased fuel efficiency in vehicles and development of flexible and alternative fuel technologies.”
Congressman Gerlach is a leader in the House on the issue of developing alternative energy sources and technology. In December, he introduced H.R. 4640, the Future Fuels Act. This legislation would lessen the nation’s dependence on foreign oil by expanding the use of alternative energy sources like ethanol.
