King: We Need Energy Solutions That Lower Prices, Create American Jobs
- Thursday, June 11, 2009, 4:57
- Iowa, National
- 946 views
- 22 comments
Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra once described the numerous back to back home runs hit by his New York Yankee teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in the 1960’s as being “like deja vu all over again.” Yogi’s explanation could just as easily describe the current actions of liberals on Capitol Hill.
If you are planning a summer vacation or filled your vehicle up recently, no doubt you have noticed that over the past few months gas prices have started to rise higher and higher with each passing week. While prices are not expected to reach the highs of last summer, your family is most likely still feeling the effects of increased pump prices.
Just like last summer, when we were all paying $4 for a gallon of gas, liberals in Washington refuse to take action to lower gas prices and expand our domestic energy production. Last year Speaker Pelosi left Washington to go on a book tour without allowing a single vote to increase our energy production.
This year, instead of a national book tour, Speaker Pelosi packed her bags for a trip to China. She and liberal Democrats still refuse to discuss and debate solutions to lower energy costs for American families.
Rather than working to lower prices, Speaker Pelosi and liberals from Massachusetts and California are actually attempting to pass a massive new energy tax on every American family, small business owner and farmer. Their “cap and trade” legislation would set a limit on how much carbon a company could emit as part of its production process. Any company exceeding the government-mandated limit would be forced to purchase emissions allowances from other companies that do not exceed the limit.
Iowa’s families, farmers and small businesses will be hit hard if this proposal passes Congress. A recent study looked at a plan similar to their “cap and trade” proposal and estimated that the impact of this plan would result in $3,128 in higher energy costs for every American household each year.
Instead of new energy taxes and the same high prices, we need forward-thinking solutions that will get Washington out of the way and foster market-based approaches to meeting America’s future energy needs. Our country needs to grow our share of the world’s energy pie to lower your price at the pump and create more American jobs.
We need to start with more oil and gas exploration here in the United States. I support lifting drilling restrictions on ANWR, the Outer Continental Shelf and oil shale in the Mountain West. Environmentally safe exploration in these areas would increase our domestic energy supply and create new jobs without disturbing local habitats.
Western Iowa also has an important role to play as a renewable energy export center. Here in Iowa we can produce more renewable fuels like ethanol, biodiesel and wind energy to help meet a larger worldwide demand.
American also needs to again develop nuclear energy. Despite the enormous success of nuclear energy, no new nuclear reactor has been ordered since the presidency of Jimmy Carter.
The Department of Energy has stated the best way for utility companies to reduce carbon emissions is to increase their supply of nuclear energy. Rather than pass a “cap and trade” bill that caps growth and trades American jobs, we need to tap into clean and emissions-free nuclear energy.
These are common-sense solutions that will protect our environment, lower energy costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create American jobs. It is time for Congress to pass an “all-of-the-above” solution that offers more affordable energy and leads to energy independence.
Written by Congressman Steve King
About the Author
The Iowa Republican has written 311 stories on this site.
22 Comments on “King: We Need Energy Solutions That Lower Prices, Create American Jobs”
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Is there anyone any better than King? I think not. He gets it.
If we can’t find enough to despise about these Democrats in DC ruining our lives, this article doesn’t even mention the Democrat’s serious proposal to put a “tax” on cow and pig farts. This is no joke. They are dead serious.
They want to tax cows to the tune of $75.00 per head and pigs at $20.00 per head. Of course, this is being sold as a way to keep down greenhouse gasses which contribute to “global warming”, which only a Democrats can believe exists.
Maybe they can explain how taxing these critters is going to reduce greenhouse gases. The only way to eliminate the gas is to eliminate the critter, which is exactly what they’re trying to do.
Farmers cannot afford this additional tax and consumers cannot afford the additional increase in the price of meat–good bye meat industry.
Now this bogus “cap and trade” which creates a huge increase in the price of gasoline and other energy products. Does ANYONE need any further proof Democrats are economic illiterates?
Congressman King is right about needing more nuclear energy. France is the best example for the rest of the world, they get approx. 70% of their power from nuclear. It is cheap, clean, and yes, SAFE!!! Our Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers have gone to sea powered by reactors for decades. The waste can be reduced to a relative miniscule amount and can be safely stored. The public has been kept ignorant about this for way too long. We need more power and the wind farms ain’t gonna provide near enough.
From what I understand Timmy…France recycles a good amount of the waste created from their nuke plants….however, regulations here prevent US nuke plants from doing the same.
Lest we all forget…we still need to “drill baby, drill!” Obama and the Democrats have to be held accountable for the fact they continue to hold us hostage to countries like Venezuela and the OPEC cartel for our oil….
Good point “Hawk”, over-regulation is what has gotten us in this mess in the first place!
Liberals are causing gas prices to rise in the summer? Are they also making it warmer in the summer?
If cap-and-trade is not a market-based solution, what is? “Drill baby, drill”? Tapping the drop-in-the-bucket that is ANWR is a “forward thinking solution”?
All I see here are pot-shots, catch-phrases, and a complete absence of actual ideas. Ladies and gentlement, This Is Your Republican Party!
Great point Mike C,
“A complete absence of actual ideas.” Really, like don’t drill for the oil that we have. Sounds a lot like the party of “no” to me. I hate partisan politics!!! I can make arguments, and you can refute them, and vice versa. Your party is so much better than ours and you have all the forward thinking solutions. The ideas Republicans have are no good, the ideas the Democrats have are no good. Did you figure out a solution to the problem, or is it okay to simply re-inform us that the Republican Party is absent actual ideas! How did your post further the discussion in this country? Did it solve our energy independence problems? Did it solve our economic woes? Did it further our children’s education? Everyone, please stop with the partisan garbage and come up with some ideas!!!
I’m all for a nuclear power plant in Sioux City. It would be an improvement.
Thinking? Or maybe ‘Ranting’?
I’m no energy expert, and I don’t pretend to be. But the suggestion that finding more oil is the forward-thinking solution is obviously silly. The solution isn’t to increase the supply, it’s to reduce the demand. This can done by either massively increasing efficiency or finding alternative fuels. We all know that oil is a finite resource. You can find more, but your source will eventually run dry. It’s at BEST a short term solution. At worst, it’s a drop in the bucket that makes no meaningful difference. I don’t think this is a partisan issue. It’s just common sense. This is an area where there really are right answers, wrong answers, and non-answers. Drilling ANWR and off the coasts is in the non-answer category.
Cap-and-trade is a good start toward efficiency. In fact, it’s the kind of market-based solution that conservatives used to (rightfully) embrace. It does not force or require changes in pollution levels, but it does create an incentive for these facilities to become more efficient. It’s smart policy. If Congressman King’s solution is to attack cap-and-trade and support “drill baby, drill”, he is against one partial solution and in favor of a non-solution.
“We all know that oil is a finite resource.”
Says who???
Oil is a NATURAL resource. Common sense tells us that as long as the planet continues to exist, oil will be produced.
I’m no energy expert, but I’m going to spend the next 13 lines explaining why your energy ideas are “non-answers” and why cap-and-trade is a “solution”. Great point!
The solution isn’t to increase the supply, it’s to reduce the demand. I have an idea for decreasing demand, tax gas at $250,000 a barrel, surely the demand will go down then…right? While we’re at it, let’s tax small businesses and individuals for their energy comsumption. Talk about facilities becoming more efficient, that might just shut down some businesses which would be great for decreasing demand!
Hey, Mike: I think we get the idea that the only slogan Democrats have been able to come up with is “the party of NO”. Talk about being devoid of ideas.
You don’t hate partisan politics at all. You are partisan.
Go back and read King’s article again. He is full of ideas–ideas that will work, if Democrats would only allow it. The truth is it is the Democrat party that is the party of “NO”. They say no to drilling, building nukes,and refining. The Republican party is the party that is saying “NO” to a stupid tax on drilling, building nukes and refining and also “NO” to a stupid tax on cow and pig farts.
Maybe you like the Democrat idea of taxing cow and pig gas? Wait until they decide to tax YOUR gas!!
How about Mike C and Thinking living/working full time at Living History Farms?
Sorry, Thinking. Your sarcasm was lost on me in my haste to post.
Mike: ” But the suggestion that finding more oil is the forward-thinking solution is obviously silly. The solution isn’t to increase the supply, it’s to reduce the demand. ”
Uh, WHY is it silly? You obviously do not pay attention to scientists who say there are years and years of oil if we simply go get it. Have you heard of the Bakken Formation in ND? There are claims to be BILLIONS of barrels of oil there. Again, Democrats say NO.
What about coal? Don’t use the flimsy excuse of coal is dirty as modern technology has found ways to scrub coal to where it is a clean source of energy and supposedly we have all the coal right here in the US we can ever use.
Again, Democrats say “NO”. Why?
You are a pessimist. If liberals would get out of the way and allow capitalism to work, we will have solutions to our energy problems and we won’t have to use pedal cars to get around. I fully believe the solutions are right under our noses (and our soil) but Democrats are preventing us from utilizing it.
Do you like paying exorbitant prices for energy? I don’t. I want to have enough left over to provide a nice life and that’s not a pipe dream. Liberals, get out of the way.
Hubble mansion should be unplugged, running water eliminated, outhouse installed in the back yard, and Chet should have to cut wood daily. And the little Mrs. should be sewing the children’s frocks.
The Culver administration insists on showing us how to lose weight so why not expand their messianic role to include energy-saving measures?
Peggy, I think you mean Terrace Hill but otherwise you have great suggestions.
The problem with all these elitist Democrats wanting us to live like they did 100 years ago is because they have no intention of doing so themselves.
Al Gore is the biggest hypocrite of all. When Al Gore parks his private plane and starts driving a Yugo, shutters down most of his house, and paints his black roof white, I might start taking this green stuff seriously but right now I believe it’s nothing more than trying to steal from those who work and transfer the results of their hard work and let the government decided how to distribute their wealth.
This “global warming” thing is a great big scam. They try to convince me I am contributing to “global warming’ when I have to use heat in June. Yea, right!!!
Okay, let’s dial it back here. I reiterate that this is an area where facts matter, and there really are right answers, wrong answers, and non-answers. Let’s start with areas of agreement. I think nuclear energy is an option that needs to be explored very seriously. I’m in agreement with you guys there. If the technology can be developed (or has been developed) to make coal a clean source of energy, then I’m with you there, too. I’m with Congressman King on the wind energy, biofuels, etc. All alternatives that need to be invested in.
My problem with the “drill baby, drill” mentality is that it’s all sound, no substance. There are billions of barrels of oil in North Dakota? When we are consuming 20 million barrels a day that’s not going to last as long as you might think. Thus, it’s not an answer. It’s a non-answer. Why get so riled up about it?
But I am a liberal. And I think the taxation of pig and cow farts is long overdue. And it is my goal to prevent any effort to solve our nations problems. I think all corporations should be disbanded, and I think we should gather on communes and farm our own food. And we should be taxed on that food. (Actually, I believe none of those things, but I wanted to save you the trouble of making the accusations)
Mike C,
I agree you’re a liberal, but I don’t believe anyone wants to see our nation fail. That’s why I’m tired of partisan politics. We are all working to the same causes (sort of), and have different ideas for getting there. It’s of no value when you tell me my ideas are worthless and it does no good when I say your ideas are stupid. Let’s come up with ideas, objectively consider the ideas, and work toward some common goals.
Probably the best example of this is the “Pay as you go” thing Obama introduced this week. We all agree we need to match spending with revenue, but it has turned into a partisan game, politics as usual. First of all, Republicans need to stop arguing for the sake of arguing. Secondly, Democrats shouldn’t spend a trillion dollars and then tell me they’re about balancing the budget. Both parties lie, cheat, and steal to make it to the top. It’s all garbage.
Culver is another great example. Democrats and Republicans all agree the state is in huge trouble this next session, but its a political game of who can dump the blame on who. Everyone (hopefully) has some strong reservations about Culver, but Democrats will still vote for him because of the party, and Republicans will still vote for someone else because of the party. Quit voting for parties, and start voting for ideas and candidates that are going to be the best fit for Iowa and our country. Partisan politics makes me sick!!!
Let’s shake hands, Thinking, and figure this stuff out.
Mike, I’m all for shaking hands!
Would you be amenable to voting for another candidate instead of Culver? If there was one politican (regardless of party) that is bad for Iowa, it would be him.
Mike: This is great. You really aren’t a liberal, after all. Now, all you have to be convinced of is that there is ample oil that is worth getting.
Here’s a pretty good test. Simply make it legal to go get it. If a company is willing to risk capital to go get it, it’s their risk so what is it to Democrats and those who believe there’s not enough there to matter? If they don’t want to invest their own money–don’t but don’t stand in the way of those who are willing to invest their money to find out.
That is the beauty of capitalism.
I’m guessing Mike C. is a government employee.