Despite the efforts of Senate Republicans to address the nation’s energy crisis and high price of gasoline, the Democratic Congress has recessed for the month of August without doing anything about it. Gas prices remain around $4 a gallon.
In recent columns, I’ve discussed a number of proposals offered by Republicans that would increase our domestic energy supply, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and help bring down gasoline prices. I’ve also discussed a number of ways that we could eventually rely more on alternative sources of energy such as nuclear power.
Over the past two weeks, however, Senate Democrats have refused to allow the Senate to legislate any solution. Instead, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid proposed to allow only two votes, pitting two partisan proposals against each other. When Republicans said that was insufficient, he set up a series of votes on unrelated issues that would have moved the Senate off the subject of energy.
These were politically-motivated votes because Senator Reid knew that Senate Republicans were determined to keep the Senate on the issue of energy. As the New Hampshire Union-Leader recently editorialized, the Democratic Leader “timed these votes for political effect” to allow him and other Democrats to accuse Republicans of opposing a number of popular proposals.
For example, the Democratic Leader called a procedural vote to move the Senate off the subject of reducing gas prices and on to a bill that would provide increased, emergency funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Despite the Constitutional obstacle that a funding bill like this cannot originate in the Senate, along with many of my Republican colleagues, including the bill’s cosponsor New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg, I would have liked to debate this assistance program that is critical to both of our states. But, as the Union-Leader wrote, “had the Senate approved that procedural move, every attempt to address high oil and gas prices would have been removed from consideration indefinitely.”
By defeating this procedural motion and others, Senate Republicans were able to keep the debate on energy production to reduce gas prices. During the debate, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell offered several ideas, for example, a proposal to open up domestic energy exploration in the outer continental shelf should the price of gasoline reach $10 a gallon! Democrats objected to each idea, including that proposal. The net result was that no amendment could be offered, no vote on energy production could be held, and after two weeks, Congress recessed without ever voting to address the energy crisis.
Our constituents have a right to be frustrated and to ask why Congress left town without doing anything to address the high price of gasoline. I am confident that during the month of August, my colleagues who opposed taking action will hear from their constituents and when Congress returns in September, it will be motivated to take action to deliver lower prices and plan for the future.
