Congressman Hostettler on Energy
HOSTETTLER CASTS A YES VOTE FOR ENERGY INDPENDENCE
WASHINGTON, DC - The House of Representatives once again took action to address high oil prices by passing H.R. 5429, the American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act, which will authorize oil and gas exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Rep. John Hostettler (IN-08) praised the measure as an opportunity to address the issues of energy independence and high energy prices.
"Every time we fill up at our local gas station," said Hostettler, "we are reminded that America needs to address this issue. World oil prices are determined by the basic economic principle of supply and demand, and so we find ourselves in an increasingly precarious position. America is not the only big consumer on the block any more with growing economies like China and India."
Over the past decade, America's energy consumption has increased by more than 12 percent, while domestic production has increased by less than 0.5 percent. In 1973, at the time of the Arab oil embargo, America imported 30 percent of its crude oil needs. That number has doubled to more than 60 percent.
"America's economy," Hostettler continued, "is essentially held hostage by an unstable international market. If we want to remain competitive, we must take steps now to keep energy prices low. Oil exploration in ANWR is one answer to this problem. It will provide us with a domestic source of oil that could reach 10 billion barrels, it will provide jobs to thousands of American workers, and it can be done in an environmentally responsible manner."
H.R. 5429 contains several provisions to ensure safe and responsible exploration in ANWR. It establishes an export ban requiring all oil and natural gas produced in ANWR's northern Coastal Plain to stay in America. It also creates stringent environmental protections including requirements that the Department of the Interior establish regulations to ensure that drilling will have no significant adverse effect on fish and wildlife and their habitat. Finally, it creates a limit on the total surface area covered by drilling and production facilities to 2,000 acres; ANWR is 19 million acres in total.
WASHINGTON, DC - The House of Representatives once again took action to address high oil prices by passing H.R. 5429, the American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act, which will authorize oil and gas exploration in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Rep. John Hostettler (IN-08) praised the measure as an opportunity to address the issues of energy independence and high energy prices.
"Every time we fill up at our local gas station," said Hostettler, "we are reminded that America needs to address this issue. World oil prices are determined by the basic economic principle of supply and demand, and so we find ourselves in an increasingly precarious position. America is not the only big consumer on the block any more with growing economies like China and India."
Over the past decade, America's energy consumption has increased by more than 12 percent, while domestic production has increased by less than 0.5 percent. In 1973, at the time of the Arab oil embargo, America imported 30 percent of its crude oil needs. That number has doubled to more than 60 percent.
"America's economy," Hostettler continued, "is essentially held hostage by an unstable international market. If we want to remain competitive, we must take steps now to keep energy prices low. Oil exploration in ANWR is one answer to this problem. It will provide us with a domestic source of oil that could reach 10 billion barrels, it will provide jobs to thousands of American workers, and it can be done in an environmentally responsible manner."
H.R. 5429 contains several provisions to ensure safe and responsible exploration in ANWR. It establishes an export ban requiring all oil and natural gas produced in ANWR's northern Coastal Plain to stay in America. It also creates stringent environmental protections including requirements that the Department of the Interior establish regulations to ensure that drilling will have no significant adverse effect on fish and wildlife and their habitat. Finally, it creates a limit on the total surface area covered by drilling and production facilities to 2,000 acres; ANWR is 19 million acres in total.
posted by K.R.Baxter at 22:02
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