Manzullo Goes After Pelosi on Energy Inertia

16th District Congressman Don Manzullo tees off on Democratic Party House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on here “playing politics” with oil drilling in the following press release.

I’m not sure I’m correct, but it appears to me that Democratic Party challenger Robert Abboud is attacking Manzullo, while Manzullo press releases ignore Abboud.

Does that make Manzullo look more “congressional?”

The press release follows:

Manzullo Urges Pelosi to Stop Playing Politics and Consider Energy Solutions that Include Drilling

[WASHINGTON] While the U.S. economy and frustrated Americans continue to struggle with record gas prices, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) keeps playing politics and refuses to allow Congress to vote on meaningful legislation to reduce gas prices in America, Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) said today.

The latest charade occurred this afternoon when Pelosi called for a vote on the latest Democrat “no-energy” bill that would do nothing to lower gas prices in America. The debate is ensuing on the House floor, and the vote is expected later tonight.

Pelosi masquerades the bill as a “pro-offshore drilling” vote, but only allows drilling 50 miles beyond our coasts (a large percentage of offshore oil is found closer to the shores), requires states to sign-off on drilling but forbids the states from sharing in the royalties, giving them no incentive to allow drilling.

In addition, the Democrat bill does not offer incentives for renewable energy without tax hikes, does not expand needed refinery capacity, forbids oil shale exploration, prevents drilling in the Arctic coastal plain, does not allow for more nuclear energy, does not promote clean coal and coal-to-liquid technology, and increases taxes on the oil and gas industry that will be passed along to American motorists.

Furthermore, Speaker Pelosi again is forbidding Congress from considering an alternative bill.

Manzullo joined many of his colleagues earlier this year in unveiling the American Energy Act (HR 6566), which will increase the supply of American-made energy, improve conservation and efficiency, and promote new and expanding energy technologies to help lower the price at the pump and reduce America’s increasingly costly and dangerous dependence on foreign sources of energy. Many of the provisions of the all-encompassing bill were included in Manzullo’s 12-point plan to reduce gas prices in America, which he unveiled in May.

“Surging gas prices are slamming struggling Americans and inflating the costs of everything we need to live. They are destroying our economy, and Speaker Pelosi continues to play politics with this issue that so deeply affects us. Enough is enough,”

Manzullo said.

“Democrat Congressional leaders should immediately allow a vote on the comprehensive American Energy Act that would spur conservation and innovation while allowing Americans to drill for oil on and off our shores to buy us time until we no longer need oil to power our vehicles. To do anything less is a slap in the face to hard-working Americans who need our help.”

The following is a brief summary of the American Energy Act that Speaker Pelosi is refusing to allow the House to consider:

· To increase the supply American-made energy in environmentally sound ways, the legislation will:

1. Open our deep water ocean resources, which will provide an additional three million barrels of oil per day, as well as 76 trillion cubic feet of natural gas;
2. Open the Arctic coastal plain, which will provide an additional one million barrels of oil per day;
3. Allow development of our nation’s shale oil resources, which could provide an additional 2.5 million barrels of oil per day; and
4. Increase the supply of gas at the pump by cutting bureaucratic red tape that essentially blocks construction of new refineries.

· To improve energy conservation and efficiency, the legislation will:

1. Provide tax incentives for businesses and families that purchase more fuel efficient vehicles;
2. Provide a monetary prize for developing the first economically feasible, super-fuel-efficient vehicle reaching 100 miles-per-gallon; and
3. Provide tax incentives for businesses and homeowners who improve their energy efficiency.
4. Provide low-interest loans to businesses that develop Advanced Battery Technology to power cars for longer distances.

· To promote renewable and alternative energy technologies, the legislation will:

1. Spur the development of alternative fuels through government contracting by repealing the “Section 526” prohibition on government purchasing of alternative energy and promoting coal-to-liquids technology;
2. Establish a renewable energy trust fund using revenues generated by exploration in the deep ocean and on the Arctic coastal plain;
3. Permanently extend the tax credit for alternative energy production, including wind, solar and hydrogen; and
4. Eliminate barriers to the expansion of emission-free nuclear power production.


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