Highlight The American Energy Act
Nancy Pelosi’s statement to Larry King that she’d consider drilling if it’s part of a bigger package (TRANSLATION: tax increases and government picking winners and losers) is a cruel hoax. Ms. Pelosi’s use of the Democrats’ Weekly Radio Address was a similar hoax.
It’s time that Republicans rallied around the American Energy Act. This upcoming week, Republicans everywhere should talk about the virtues of the American Energy Act. Whether it’s rebel legislators in Washington, bloggers across the nation or the NRCC running wall-to-wall ads on national TV, they should be touting the substantial legislation put together by House Republicans.
I’ve touted the AEA numerous times. Now it’s time that the NRCC capitalized. This is solid legislation that Americans would flock to if they knew about it. The fastest way to guarantee Americans finding out about the AEA’s provisions is for Pesident Bush and Sen. McCain to make a visit to Capitol Hill to hold a joint news conference touting the AEA.
Republicans should have graphics made to highlight the bill’s balanced approach to energy reform:
To increase the supply American-made energy in environmentally sound ways, the legislation will:
- Open our deep water ocean resources, which will provide an additional three
million barrels of oil per day, as well as 76 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, as proposed in H.R. 6108 by Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC). Rep. John Peterson (R-PA) has also worked tirelessly on this issue.- Open the Arctic coastal plain, which will provide an additional one million
barrels of oil per day, as proposed in H.R. 6107 by Rep. Don Young (R-AK);- Allow development of our nation’s shale oil resources, which could provide an additional 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, as proposed in H.R. 6138 by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI); and
- Increase the supply of gas at the pump by cutting bureaucratic red tape that essentially blocks construction of new refineries, as proposed in H.R. 6139 by Reps. Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Joe Pitts (R-PA).
To improve energy conservation and efficiency, the legislation will:
- Provide tax incentives for businesses and families that purchase more fuel
efficient vehicles, as proposed in H.R. 1618 and H.R. 765 by Reps. Dave Camp
(R-MI) and Jerry Weller (R-IL);- Provide a monetary prize for developing the first economically feasible, super-fuel-efficient vehicle reaching 100 miles-per-gallon, as proposed in H.R. 6384 by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT); and
- Provide tax incentives for businesses and homeowners who improve their
energy efficiency, as proposed in H.R. 5984 by Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD),
Phil English (R-PA), and Zach Wamp (R-TN), and in H.R. 778 by Rep. Jerry Weller
(R-IL).
To promote renewable and alternative energy technologies, the legislation will:
- Spur the development of alternative fuels through government contracting by
repealing the “Section 526” prohibition on government purchasing of alternative energy and promoting coal-to-liquids technology, as proposed in H.R. 5656 by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), in H.R. 6384 by Rob Bishop (R-UT), and in H.R. 2208 by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL);- Establish a renewable energy trust fund using revenues generated by exploration in the deep ocean and on the Arctic coastal plain, as proposed by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA);
- Permanently extend the tax credit for alternative energy production, including wind, solar and hydrogen, as proposed in H.R. 2652 by Rep. Phil English (R-PA) and in H.R. 5984 by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD); and
- Eliminate barriers to the expansion of emission-free nuclear power production, as proposed in H.R. 6384 by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT).
It’s time that these provisions was highlighted in every other sentence, in every TV or newspaper interview, in every townhall meeting back in the districts across America.
It’s important for our elected officials to understand the importance of this issue. If our elected officials highlight the Republicans’ balanced plan, we’ll regain the public’s trust by becoming the leaders who solved the biggest economic problem in many an election cycle.
We will have given voters a reason to be for us. We will have given voters a reason to ignore Democrats. We will have earned the mantle of leadership.
None of these things can happen, though, without us highlighting the Republicans’ American Energy Act. We know what to do. Now it’s time to make Democrats defend why the AEA isn’t solid legislation.
Another thing I’d recommend is for the House Republican leadership to send Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership team a letter asking them if they find any provisions in the AEA objectionable. As a followup, I’d ask them to explain why they find those specific provisions objectionable.
Finally, I’d take out half-page ads in strategically picked newspapers across the country highlighting the AEA’s provisions. I’d also make a YouTube video highlighting the AEA and asking Speaker Pelosi why she doesn’t support the bill’s provisions.
Technorati Tags: Gas Crisis, American Energy Act, Drilling, Conservation, Alternatives, Tax Credits, President Bush, John McCain, John Boehner, News Conference, YouTube Video, Energy Policy, Election 2008
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
August 17th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Of course, the part that you’re not mentioning, Gary, is that once the donks have been defeated in November the Republicans HAVE to pass that legislation, extend tax reductions and, most importantly, begin reducing the spending to which they’ve become just as addicted as the donks.
Once those things are done, then I (and I assume many other conservatives) will start trusting the Republicans again. It would be a start, at least.
Until then I (and I assume many other conservatives) will continue to listen to the Republican rants and proposals and think “Yeah, sounds good but that’s a politician speaking so the chances of it being pursued are between nil and zero.”
And they’ll just turn around and blame someone else, as always, as if their own lies and incompetencies weren’t their own fault…
August 17th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Carlos, I understand where you’re coming from because I’ve been there, too. What I’m doing, though, is that I’m forcing them to take the right stance on issues, then acting on them.
I posted something awhile back called Talk is Cheap. Another post I wrote is called We Demand Solutions, Not Just Talk.
While those posts were directed at Democrats, they also apply to Republicans.
The good news is that I’m having an impact because I’m in weekly contact with Rep. Bachmann’s office and with Sen. Coleman’s campaign. They’re listening and they’re acting on my suggestions.
I’ve even got the ear of McCain’s Minnesota staff. They’re listening and they’re actively campaigning on energy policy.
Pay attention to what’s happening. It might just pleasantly surprise you.
August 17th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I’d be more than happy if it does, Gary, but once trust is destroyed it’s not something that can be resurrected with a ploy or two. It will take time, lots of it, to restore the trust many of us had in “the party” because they lied so long and so often that it became a way of life. Heck, even Reagan created a bigger government, and he’s used as THE standard.
Every single thing they did could be individually justified by any of them, but taken as a whole they “done themselves in” and now they’re going to have to work tirelessly and, quite frankly, flawlessly to get many of us back.
Will I have to agree with everything? No, certainly not, but if what they do at any point cannot be justified by stated principles then they’ve lost it again.