U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) today released the following statement after the House approved a continuing resolution that will allow the ban on offshore energy and oil shale production to expire at the end of this month:
“After months of Democratic opposition to increasing energy production offshore and on federal lands, the will of the American people has won. Today, the Democratic Majority caved to relentless Republican protests to increase American-made energy by ending their last-minute attempts to prevent full repeal of the current offshore energy moratorium. Now the congressional ban on offshore energy and oil shale development will expire on October 1, 2008 – a day of American energy victory in the long road to energy independence.
U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) today joined House Republican Leadership and Members for a press conference on the Capitol steps to conclude the historic month-long energy protest on the House floor and to call on House Democrats to allow a vote on the American Energy Act (H.R. 6566), a comprehensive energy approach to increase supply, reduce demand and free our nation from dependence on foreign oil.
“While Speaker Nancy Pelosi used the August recess to promote her own book sales, my colleagues and I stood on the House floor to protest Congress’ inexcusable failure to address our nation’s energy crisis,” Sessions said. “As energy prices skyrocket and deflate according to market demands and global events, now more than ever Americans understand that our nation’s dependence on foreign oil threatens to disrupt family budgets and the American economy at any moment.”
This week in Washington, Republicans in the House of Representatives concluded five weeks of speeches, rallies, and protests for fair and real energy legislation. Since the House adjourned for summer recess on August 1st, every workday members of my party and I have been demanding that Speaker Nancy Pelosi bring Members back to Washington, D.C. to vote on substantial energy legislation.
Today I joined with my colleagues and millions around the nation in honoring and remembering the victims and heroes from the tragedies of September 11, 2001. Seven years later, the United States and the world still mourns the loss and honors the memory of those who were killed in the attacks.
This evening I will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting for North Dallas at the Fretz Recreation Center from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. The address is 6950 Beltline Road, Dallas, TX 75254. For a map, click here.
At this afternoon’s press conference, my Republican colleagues and I sent our Energy Now message to the American people, highlighting recent energy events back home in our districts and our constituents’ messages to Congress to act now on energy solutions.
In my floor speech and at the press conference, I also discussed the difference between energy “solutions” in Congress.