I am committed to enacting balanced and responsible energy legislation that is in the best interest of the 7th District. Inflated gasoline prices place a financial burden on working families. However, we cannot address our current energy problems with more regulation, higher taxes, and fewer choices. The real key to lowering prices at the pump is decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.
The oil market landscape has drastically changed with the rapid economic expansion in Russia, India, and most notably, China. Currently, foreign national oil companies control almost 90 percent of global oil reserves and produce the bulk of the world's supply. Many of the countries that direct these state-owned companies are unfriendly to the United States. These governments circumvent the traditional distribution process, undermining the open market and, thus, driving international prices up. It is imperative that our State Department work to ensure terms favorable to an open market for oil and gas.
Our energy supply should not be influenced by the whims of our enemies. Energy independence is a matter of economic and national security. Over the next 20-25 years, we need to manage our dependence on fossil fuels in a strategic way while we develop alternative energy measures that are sustainable, diverse, and environmentally compatible. America's continued prosperity depends upon the availability of reliable, affordable energy sources.
I voted against a Democrat-sponsored energy bill that became law in December 2007. The biggest problem with the Democrat bill is that it does absolutely nothing to create new supplies of domestic energy. There is essentially no energy in the Democrat's "energy" bill. Instead, the bill cuts American energy supplies and imposes new regulations that discourage future American exploration. In addition, the bill does nothing to expand our nation's current refining capacity - which is a vital step to ensuring lower gas prices in the near term.
During debate on the energy bill, I fought for adoption of a comprehensive alternative which included measures on energy efficiencies, coal-to-liquids energy with carbon capture and sequestration technologies, alternative and renewable fuels, and solar and hydrogen energy research and development. The substitute also allowed for loan guarantees for nuclear energy, advanced technologies for plug-in hybrids and innovative vehicle batteries, as well as responsible exploration and production of oil and gas in limited areas of the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) and on the outer continental shelf (OCS) beyond 100 miles from the coastline.
Unfortunately, House Democrats defeated the comprehensive substitute. It is unfortunate that a more responsible compromise could not have been negotiated. As Congress works on additional energy legislation in 2008, I will continue to push for proposals that will lower gas prices and curb our reliance on foreign sources of energy without punishing employers along the Gulf Coast and hampering the exploration of domestic energy.
I have also introduced the Energy Security and Foreign Policy Integration Act of 2007 (H.R. 3207). The U.S. Government has historically failed to adequately and systematically consider energy issues in the development of foreign and national security policy. I strongly believe that energy issues should be an integral part of the foreign and national security policymaking process. Our growing dependence on foreign energy supplies constrains our nation's pursuit of a broad range of foreign policy and national security goals. My bill does three things: 1) requires the Secretary of Energy to be a member of the National Security Council; 2) establishes a new Directorate of Energy within the National Security Council; and 3) requires the President to conduct a Quadrennial Energy Security Report. I will continue to push to ensure H.R. 3207 is enacted this Congress.
Louisianians deserve a balanced energy plan that will not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but also bring more business to our state. I am committed to working with my colleagues during the 110th Congress to implement common-sense energy solutions to lower gas prices and reduce America's reliance on foreign sources of energy.