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Washington, DC - Prior to the Vice President’s trip to the Middle East, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, delivered a letter to Mr. Cheney asking that he encourage OPEC to increase oil production.
"First it was the President, now it is the Speaker begging OPEC to increase oil production. It amazes me that the Speaker of the House wants to increase our dependence on OPEC, while she continues to lead the charge to keep our own vast resources of oil and natural gas under lock and key,” said Representative John Peterson (R-PA), the leading advocate in Congress to increase production of domestic energy.
Peterson is referring to the twenty-seven year Congressional moratoria preventing the production of American natural gas and oil off shore. The moratoria, which have contributed to the high energy prices today, are once again contained in the Department of Interior’s annual appropriation bill, despite the fact that oil is at a record high and natural gas prices are off the chart. The Speaker notes in her letter that these prices ‘…have caused great hardship for American families and businesses struggling to make ends meet in this economic downturn...’.
“In the coming weeks, as a member of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, I plan to offer amendments to the Interior appropriations bill, which will open up our reserves by eliminating the 27 year Congressional moratoria.
“If Speaker Pelosi is serious about reducing the price at the pump and assisting the elderly, poor and fixed income citizens with their heating and cooling bills; keeping small businesses afloat; creating jobs at home; and saving millions of jobs from moving overseas, she can either turn her words into deeds and support my efforts to produce American natural gas and oil, or she can continue to beg OPEC for more oil, increasing our dependence on foreign energy and further erode our energy security.
“The Speaker recently stated, ‘It's about our national security…our dependence on foreign oil presents a clear and present danger to our country.’ Madam Speaker, I could not agree with you more,” concluded Peterson.
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