Long Attacks War on Consumers

Press Release

This week,Congressman Billy Long continued his fight for the American consumer by voting in favor of three energy bills to create thousands of American jobs, decrease oil prices, and increase America's energy independence. The three bills: the Putting Americans Back to Work Act, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, and the Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act, were all originally cosponsored by Long.

"The American people are being kicked when they're already down," said Long. "I've had thousands of calls and emails from the people of Southwest Missouri who keep asking me "what are you folks doing in Washington to help?' These votes show that the House Republicans are listening."

H.R. 1229, the Putting Americans Back to Work Act, will lift President Obama's de facto deep-water drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico. Obama's war on oil in the Gulf has created a shortfall of roughly 240,000 barrels per day.

H.R. 1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act attacks President Obama's war on oil by allowing new offshore drilling off of the coast of Virginia and in the Gulf of Mexico. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if passed, this legislation would generate $40 million in new revenue, create 2,000 new jobs in Virginia, produce half a billion barrels of oil and 2.5 trillion feet of natural gas.

Finally, H.R. 1231, the Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act, would lift the President's ban on new offshore drilling by forcing the Administration to move forward on American energy production in areas with the most oil and natural gas.

According to Renowned Professor of Louisiana State University, Dr. Joseph Mason, if passed, all three bills could create 250,000 jobs over the short-term and 1.2 million jobs long-term.

"A decade ago Democrats said that increasing drilling wouldn't have an effect on prices for ten years. Well it's been a decade," said Long. "Had we acted than, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Congressman Long believes America needs an all-of-the-above approach to solve its energy problem. He believes in more oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy production combined with more wind, solar, hydro-power, and geothermal energies. This will lower prices, create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and strengthen our national security.

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