Energy

Average gas prices in Charlotte have nearly doubled since President Obama first took office.  Despite the squeeze on middle class families, President Obama has hindered offshore energy production and canceled the sale of oil rights!

America has an abundant supply of energy resources, including natural gas reserves larger than the crude oil reserves of Saudi Arabia.  We need policies that allow us to capitalize on our own resources, instead of living at the mercy of volatile markets, international crises and natural disasters.

This summer, I joined a bipartisan majority to approve the Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America that Works Act (H.R. 4899), which will ease the squeeze on the middle class and create jobs through smarter management of America’s energy resources.

This common sense legislation would:

• Require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct oil and natural gas lease sales previously delayed or canceled by President Obama
• Move forward with offshore energy production
• Eliminate unnecessary or excessive red tape which delays energy production

Despite current gas prices, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has allowed this legislation to gather dust on his desk.

As your Congressman, I’ve also supported:

• The Northern Route Approval Act (H.R. 3), which would approve the Keystone Pipeline, a project with bipartisan support in Congress that would create thousands of jobs.
• The Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization Act (H.R. 1613), which would promote energy production in the Gulf of Mexico.
• The Energy Consumers Relief Act (H.R. 1582), which shields consumers from overzealous EPA rules which do little to help the environment but do much to harm the economy. 

Renewable energy can be very important to achieving energy independence, but is only part of the equation.  The federal government has made significant investments in renewable energy which have often failed, like Solyndra.  Further growth needs to come with private investment, just like other energy sectors.

We must also continue construction of safe, clean, and efficient nuclear power facilities.  Limiting ourselves to only a few sources of energy will place America in a dangerous position, dependent on the whims of others.

America has an abundant supply of energy resources, cutting-edge technology, and gifted scientists who develop solutions to keep our environment safe.  Instead of using energy as a political football, we need to work together toward American energy independence.

Will America own its future, or be owned?