Whitfield Votes Against No Energy, No Drill Bill | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Whitfield Votes Against No Energy, No Drill Bill September 17, 2008 As Kentuckians continue to face skyrocketing prices at the pump, they do not want a Democrat energy plan or a Republican energy plan. They want an American energy plan which provides comprehensive, common sense solutions to our nation's energy crunch. They want an energy plan that increases the production of American made energy, invests in alternative fuels for the future, makes our country less dependent on foreign oil and lowers fuel costs.

Unfortunately, that is not the plan the Majority party delivered to the American people. Instead their legislation ties America's natural resources in bureaucratic red tape and raises energy taxes on American consumers, manufacturers and small businesses by $19 billion. The bill contains no environmentally responsible exploration of the Arctic coastal plain in Alaska, no real oil shale exploration and no provisions to cut red-tape and get new refineries in the U.S. up and running.

What's worse is that the Majority Party claims this legislation will, at long last, deliver on the demands of the American people to allow environmentally responsible drilling off certain coastal areas when, in fact, it will not. While the bill does allow for minimal drilling off-shore, it does not allow coastal states to share in the revenue generated from energy exploration off their coasts, taking away a vital incentive for states to allow this off-shore drilling. The Majority Party in Congress is trying to convince the American people that they support new exploration, all the while knowing it will never actually happen.

In addition, this bill falls far short of advancing the use of coal, our nation's most abundant natural resource. Any "comprehensive" energy plan that does not include a large role for coal is no energy plan at all. The plan contains no development of advanced clean coal and coal-to-liquid technologies. Also, the bill does not repeal a provision in existing law which bars the government from purchasing abundant alternative fuels.

Kentuckians deserve better and I intend to continue my efforts to push for common sense energy solutions which will develop new sources of energy, utilize the resources we already have and help drive down costs. I have been proud to sponsor more than a dozen pieces of legislation this Congress that would do just that by opening up certain reserves within the United States for environmentally responsible drilling; encouraging the development of alternative fuels such as ethanol, and coal-to liquids; developing domestic oil shale resources; and encouraging the building of new domestic refineries. When it comes to energy, the people of Kentucky are tired of petty politics. They want solutions and they want them now.

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