Rehberg Lauds Montana Employment Numbers; Works to Combat $3 Per Gallon Gas at the Pump

Rehberg Lauds Montana Employment Numbers; Works to Combat $3 Per Gallon Gas at the Pump

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana's Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced Montana's economy created 3,200 new jobs in March, resulting in the largest month-to-month percentage (0.8 percent) gain in the country. Rehberg said Montana's unemployment rate now stands at 3.4 percent, well below the 4.7 percent national average. A report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) today detailed the employment data.

"It's clear Montana's economy is growing, but there's more work to be done," said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. "We need to continue to invest in Montana's energy resources, including oil. Montana can be a leader in helping the U.S. reduce its dependence on foreign oil. We need to do whatever it takes to give Montana's oil producers access to American pipelines so they're not selling higher quality Montana oil at a deep discount to their world competitors.

"Investing in Montana's energy future is an investment in our children's future. Increased energy development, be it mining or oil and gas exploration, on Montana's 517 million acres of school trust lands would directly increase school funding. More good, high-paying, private sector jobs are just waiting to be created in Montana. I'm going to continue pressing the Department of Energy for answers on how I can help Montana's oil producers."

Of states with small populations, Montana is among the leaders in jobs created in the past year with 10,700, BLS said. Montana, which ranks tenth among U.S. states in oil produced, has refineries in Billings, Great Falls and Laurel. Crude production surged over 14 percent in Montana last year, according to industry statistics. Montana produced 19 million barrels of crude oil in 2005 and the state says proven oil finds could surge to 150 million barrels in the future. About 8 percent of Montana's workforce is currently employed in energy related jobs, according to BLS.

"The expectation is that Montana will only continue to grow when it comes to energy production and we need to do everything we can to facilitate that growth," Rehberg said. "At a time when gas prices keep rising, this country needs to look within our own borders to solve our energy needs. Montana is open for business and willing to help. It's time to buy American and time to buy Montanan."
Rehberg, a member of the Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee, has worked to create incentives to effectively develop domestic energy in environmentally sensitive ways, develop alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, and to encourage national energy conservation. Last year, Rehberg, added a key legislative provision to the GAS Act of 2005, to encourage the building of a new coal-to-liquid-fuels (CTLF) refinery. Rehberg's amendment expands the definition of "refineries" to include CTLF and give any of these new facilities that are built in Montana the same access to streamlined permitting.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/mt00_rehberg/042106_GasPrices.html