Washington

The only thing rising faster than gas prices these days is the blood pressure of American motorists. Understandably, folks are frustrated with pumping more of their paychecks into their gas tanks. Many are looking to Congress for answers.

So far, the response from some in Congress has been to hold show hearings with oil executives and to propose higher taxes. The hearings on Capitol Hill last month were a chance for some politicians to wag their fingers and scold businessmen, but did nothing to slow the steady climb of gas prices. Gas prices hit record highs every day for nearly a month straight.

Current prices are almost $1 per gallon higher than they were a year ago in most parts of southeastern Pennsylvania, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. That means motorists are paying about $15 more than they did last year to fill up a 15-gallon tank.

Some in Congress believe the solution is imposing higher taxes on oil companies. But that feel-good fix simply would drive gas prices higher because any tax would be passed on to consumers.

While some see the current gas-price spike as a crisis, the nation must view $4-per-gallon gas as a challenge. It should be a challenge that spurs Congress to work together on a National Energy Initiative.

We must act with the same boldness that President John F. Kennedy employed to inspire America to develop a space program that put a man on the moon in a little less than a decade. We certainly do not have to travel to the moon to achieve energy independence.

Some of the solution can be found just off America’s shores beneath the Outer Continental Shelf. That’s where the U.S. Minerals Management Service reports billions of barrels of oil and natural gas could be tapped in an environmentally responsible way.

Foreign dictators will soon take advantage of these valuable energy resources about 60 miles off the coast of Florida. China is cooperating with Cuba to set up oil and natural gas exploration in the Atlantic.

But America’s path to energy independent will remain blocked until Congress lifts 1960s-era bans on responsible development of off-shore energy resources.

The American public seems to understand the need for responsible development of these much-needed fuel supplies. A Gallup Poll released on May 28 showed 57 percent of the people surveyed would support tapping into fuel sources in places such as the Outer Continental Shelf.

I have cosponsored a bill, H.R. 2784, to end restrictions on developing these off-shore energy resources. The legislation would use natural gas royalties paid by energy companies to fund environmental restoration projects and renewable energy and carbon sequestration research.

Programs that help low-income and elderly homeowners pay their heating bills and make their homes more energy efficient also would benefit under the bill. Increasing the supply of American-made energy will reduce our dependence on unstable regimes in the Middle East and other parts of the world.

In addition to additional exploration for oil and natural gas supplies, our National Energy Initiative should encourage innovation.

Throughout this nation’s history, we have harnessed American ingenuity to fly to the moon, to nearly rid ourselves of once-incurable diseases such as polio, and to invent computers small enough to fit in your palm. I have faith that we can muster enough ingenuity to eventually find alternatives to fossil fuels.

That’s why Congress must pass legislation extending tax credits for entrepreneurs, researchers and others working to develop renewable energy sources. A recent survey by the American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association found that nearly $19 billion in private investments in wind and solar power projects are at risk if Congress fails to promptly extend these tax incentives. These are clean-energy projects that could produce at least 116,000 American jobs, the survey indicated.

Homeowners also could take advantage of tax incentives to buy more energy-efficient appliances and make other improvements to conserve energy.

The recent spike in gas prices has underscored just how much our economic and national security are tied to energy prices. We need to enact legislation encouraging exploration, innovation and conservation. Because without a National Energy Initiative, gas prices — and our blood pressure — will simply continue climbing higher.