A blogger’s conference call in Rep. Michelle Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) office gave Republican congressmen a chance to spread their hopes for using the United States’ own resources for oil and natural gas to help offset rising fuel costs.
“It is very difficult for us to meet the demands just on the domestic market if we are looking at the fact that we’ve capped our capacity,” said Rep. Marsha Blackman (R-Tenn). “We’ve capped our supply.”
According to Blackman, the legislation which prohibits drilling offshore and in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is irresponsible in a time when “we have seen global demand increase and we certainly have seen domestic demand increase.”
More than a dozen bloggers from outlets such as The Foundry, Redstate, Townhall, Hot Air and Newsbusters listened as Bachmann, Blackman, and Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Phil Gingrey (R-Georgia), Tom Price (R-Georgia) and Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) all spoke of the need to investigate immediate possibilities within the U.S. to halt the rise in prices at the gas pumps and begin to lower fuel costs.
The goal of the Republicans is to bring gas prices back down to two dollars per gallon. The representatives argued that politicians can no longer ignore the American public’s plight.
“The issue of the price at the pump is an issue where the American people are well ahead of the people in Congress,” said Blackman.
Bachmann hopes utilizing blogs can help garner public interest and support for their proposal.
The goals of the representatives’ plan will be met by drilling in places previously protected by a 1981 moratorium on offshore drilling, which was later extended through 2012 by the Clinton administration. There is also speculation that President George W. Bush may rescind his father’s 1991 executive order banning the drilling.
The representatives’ plans include drilling in ANWR and the exploration of offshore drilling on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in the Gulf area of Florida.
A search for oil shale in the Midwest also represents a largely untapped natural resource, according to the Republicans. Plans to build oil refineries inside the U.S. would also cut down on expenses that stem from importing refined oil, they argue.
Putnam believes these tactics represent the best and most efficient way to help secure U.S. energy independence for the long-term.
“Enough is enough,” Putnam said. “These are our specific solutions for solving the energy crisis, not just a band-aid for the short term.”
The representatives expect to face opposition from across the aisle, and many bloggers questioned the likelihood of the Republicans pushing their plans through before the November election. Some admitted it may be difficult to get House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi to even accept the proposal for debate.
However, Gingrey and others remained hopeful, stressing the matter as a bipartisan concern.
“This is not about politics,” said Gingrey. “It should not be about politics. We need to try and do the right thing with an open mind.”
Bachmann added: “The Republican party is extending our hand; we’re on our knees begging the Democrats right now, ‘Come together for the sake of the American people.’ This isn’t about politics. This isn’t about the November elections. This about real pain, real suffering.”
Ben Giles is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.
