As we enter the last stretch of summer, energy prices are on the rise and most folks in East Alabama are feeling the pain.
With a sluggish economy and millions of Americans still out of work, there’s a solution to help stabilize our energy costs over the long term and increase our chances for energy independence: tap our own domestic energy sources.
However, it seems President Obama’s policy agenda is standing in the way of job creation, economic progress and energy independence.
The coal industry, for example, provides the largest source of electric power generation in our country and supports thousands of jobs including jobs in Alabama. But the Administration has declared a war on coal.
Last month, Daniel P. Schrag, an adviser to the president, was quoted in the New York Times as saying, “a War on Coal is exactly what’s needed.” In fact, just seven of the EPA regulations proposed since President Obama took office could cost as much as $16.7 billion annually once fully implemented. These, along with permitting delays for American mining, are severely hurting the coal industry and jobs.
This week, because of a troubling trend of continued government interference against American energy production, I wrote a letter to Gina McCarthy, the new Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The letter says, “I implore you to work with Congress to reverse course on the EPA’s recent and damaging record of job-threatening regulations and red tape.”
And it doesn’t stop with your electric bill. Americans have also been feeling pain at the gas pump. Building the Keystone XL Pipeline is something we can do now to help stabilize gas prices over the long term.
Recently, I joined my colleagues to pass H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act. This bill declared a presidential permit wouldn’t be required for the building of the Keystone Pipeline. This pipeline would create an astounding number of jobs while providing North American energy from one of our closest allies, Canada. But President Obama continues to stand in the way.
It’s time the President put the American people first. A war on energy is not what we need. We need reliable and affordable energy, good paying American jobs and we have that right here at home. Let’s stabilize energy prices and make America energy independent, in part by advocating for less onerous government regulations.
Contact me at mike-rogers.house.gov, like me on Facebook at Congressman Mike D. Rogers, follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram at RepMikeRogersAL and subscribe to my YouTube page at MikeRogersAL03.
