Larson addresses Congress's failure to deal with $4 gas before taking vacation

Press Release

Today, Lyle Larson, Candidate for House of Representatives District 23, expressed his disappointment in Congress's decision to recess for the 4th of July holiday, without first addressing the outrageous gas prices. "People are disappointed that Congress did nothing to address $4 gas before they broke for the 4th. It's frustrating that Congressman Rodriguez and his colleagues have been completely unresponsive to folks who are struggling to pay for gas. People in the 23rd District deserve a solution," Larson explained.

Larson recalled that when Democrats took control of Congress in January 2007, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promised to not only address the energy crisis, but to work longer hours addressing issues affecting their constituents. Since then, the price of gas has nearly doubled from a national average of $2.33 per gallon on January 1, 2007 to $4.11 today. After choosing to take a vacation while gas prices continue to rise with no indication of relief, this Congress has broken the promises it made to the American people. Larson acknowledged that this issue is on the forefront of the minds of residents of the 23rd District, noting, "People across the district are making it clear that they are upset with the Congress's unwillingness to do something about $4 gas."

Larson discussed his energy policy which was released last week. The crux of his plan is reducing our dependence on foreign oil while simultaneously reducing the strain on our economy. Larson's plan calls for offshore drilling to utilize our own resources and the expansion of our refining capacity. He indicated that while we remain idle, China and other countries are drilling a mere 200 miles off of our coast and capturing resources that should be in American hands. He would also urge Congress to work with Mexico to increase their production as they are the 3rd largest importer of oil to the U.S. "We need to share our technology with countries that have a large supply of oil but do not have the ability to collect it, which will reduce our dependence on resources from unfriendly countries," Larson explained. He also advocates for tax credits for purchasing American-made vehicles that average over 25 highway miles per gallon.

Lyle Larson's energy plan is available in its entirety online at lylelarson.org.

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