Across the 5th Congressional District, families have probably been wincing again with each trip to the local gas station.  Higher gas obviously prices make it more expensive for families to live their everyday lives, whether taking kids to baseball practice, commuting to work, or hitting the road for a family vacation coming up this summer.   

Many look to Washington for an immediate fix.  Unfortunately, I do not believe there is one.  Higher gas prices are a symptom of a disease, and the disease is that America does not produce enough energy to meet our needs.  We have not built a new gasoline refinery since 1976 due to excessive bureaucratic red tape. 

While many promising alternative energy technologies are being developed, unfortunately none are mature enough today to meet our immediate energy needs.  Alternative energy is the long term solution.  Unfortunately, I do not believe it is the short term solution. 

To address our short term needs, I am making sure that Congress focuses its efforts on passing common-sense legislation that allows Americans to produce more American energy.  This includes opening up ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf for energy exploration and expanding our nation’s refining capacity.  We have to become more energy independent.  This promotes greater energy independence and creates good jobs here at home. 

Rest assured I will continue to work in Congress to make sure that you can afford to pay your energy bills and that America can stop relying so heavily on foreign oil.  To read an article from the Athens Daily Review about how gas prices affect 5th District constituents, click here.