-- Randy’s Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

July 5, 2010

Celebrating Independence Day

This weekend families and friends across the 19th District gathered together to celebrate the birth of our great nation. Independence Day is a special day of celebration for all Americans. For 234 years, the United States has stood as a beacon of freedom and democracy for the entire world to see.

It was on July 4, 1776, that our Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia to declare America’s independence and stand up for their God-given rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” They founded a government of the people, by the people, and for the people based on economic freedom and the principle of empowerment where we have the freedom to worship our God according to our beliefs, without fear of persecution.

Our freedoms were not easily obtained, and many have tried to take those freedoms away.  Thanks to the efforts of the many men and women who have served this nation, liberty has prevailed. It is my hope that we will take time not just on July 4th , but throughout the year to reflect on the principles of our Founders and what each of us can do to help ensure we maintain our cherished freedoms.  

The Empowerment Project

Watch now: Rep. Pete Olson discusses the importance of continuing domestic oil exploration.

My reflections regarding our Founding Fathers led me to initiate the Empowerment Project that I have been updating you on over the past few weeks.  I am looking forward to continuing this project to highlight how much the reach of our government has grown and also to discuss policies that can help put us back on the empowerment track.

Last week, Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) sat down with me to discuss the economic impacts of banning offshore drilling and the future of domestic oil production. Rep. Olson introduced H.R. 5525 in response to the Obama Administration’s six-month moratorium on all offshore drilling in the U.S.  While a federal judge has temporarily halted the moratorium, the Administration has appealed the decision and plans to issue a revised moratorium.   H.R. 5525 would permanently lift the ban and get many Americans on the Gulf Coast back to work.

If you can’t power America, you can’t empower America. We know that almost 70 percent of our nation’s oil is from foreign sources. Instead of banning production, we should be looking for methods to ensure that domestic exploration is being done in the safest, most environmentally-friendly way possible to prevent another tragic spill like the one in the Gulf. But if the ultimate goal is energy independence, restricting domestic production is not the answer.  We cannot continue our dependency on less than friendly nations for our energy supply.

Tune in to hear more of my conversation with Rep. Olson. For more information on The Empowerment Project, I encourage you to visit www.randy.house.gov and click the Empowerment button.

“Question of the Week”

Which one of America’s Founding Fathers is your favorite?

Please visit my website to submit your answer to this week’s question.

****

As always, when events unfold in Washington, I will be sure to update you. In the meantime, do not hesitate to visit my website or call my office toll free district wide at (888) 763-1611 or my Washington, DC office at 202-225-4005.