Republicans Still Rock the House - Washington D. C. - Aug 8, 2008

ARRA News Service - In the House, the Republican protest over Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s refusal to allow a vote on drilling enters its second week today. The message is clearly having an impact, as Politico reports that “MoveOn.org announced Thursday it was launching radio ads targeting Republicans for organizing the protest.” MoveOn is apparently desperate to blunt the momentum for more drilling; a new Rasmussen poll that shows 57% of Democrats and 61% of independent voters see finding new energy sources as a priority. Rasmussen Reports also notes: “With energy issues taking center stage in the presidential campaign, 81% of Americans see development of new energy sources as an urgent priority. Only 9% disagree.”

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House members who signed petition to increase U.S. oil

ARRA News Service -Washington, July 25, 2008 - U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland has challenged all 435 members of the U.S. House to sign a petition that reads "I will vote to increase U.S. oil production to lower gas prices for Americans."

Below are the 192 members and counting who have signed:

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.) Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.) Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) Rep. Henry Brown (R-S.C.) Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) Rep. Mike Burgess (R-Texas) Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-La.) Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.) Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn.) Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) Rep. Thelma Drake (R-Va.) Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) Rep. John Duncan (R-Tenn.) Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.) Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.) Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.) Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.) Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Texas) Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.) Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) Rep. Dave Hobson (R-Ohio) Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) Rep. Tim Holden (D-Pa.) Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.) Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.)

Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.) Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-N.Y.) Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Ky.) Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.) Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas) Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.) Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.) Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.) Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) Rep. John Peterson (R-Pa.) Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) Rep. Todd Platts (R-Pa.) Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.) Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.) Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-Mont.) Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.) Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.) Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho) Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio) Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) Rep. Jim Walsh (R-N.Y.) Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.) Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)

Members who said "No" to the petition:

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky.) Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) Rep. Tim Johnson (R-Ill.)

Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas) Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.)

NOTE: If your member is not listed, his or her office has been contacted but has not responded.

Speaker Pelosi Clueless! Arkansas Rep. Mike Ross Gets it!

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: When it comes to addressing our national energy crisis, drilling for oil and protecting America and American interests, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representative is clueless. Even the liberal New York Times has taken notice.

On Friday, Carl Hulse in an NYT article title "Democrats Dig In as G.O.P. Presses for Oil Exploration in Protected Areas" depicts the logger-headiness of Pelosi. The article is long but worth reading. Some limited excerpts will reveal Pelosi's failure to comprehend our internal National crisis and her inept understanding of the role of the National Strategic Petroleum Reserves in a time of global crisis with existing threats against America and American interests:

House Democratic leaders took a hard line Thursday against opening up restricted areas to oil production as Republicans threatened to try to keep Congress in session this summer unless they got a vote on new drilling opportunities.

As the political and policy fight over gasoline prices escalated, the White House rejected a call by Democrats to release oil from the nation’s strategic reserves in an effort to lower prices by increasing supply. Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, said, “We’d like to see members think a little bit more long term and take advantage of the opportunity that we have to do drilling from our domestic sources.”

Even as some Democratic lawmakers called on Congress to open up restricted areas to drilling, . . . “This call for drilling in areas that are protected is a hoax,” Ms. Pelosi said. “It’s an absolute hoax on the part of the Republicans and this Bush administration.” . . . But with public anxiety growing over gasoline prices, some Democrats say their party has to move beyond encouraging exploration on tracts already owned by oil companies and open new, potentially productive areas to exploration. Leaders of a coalition of moderate and conservative

Democrats known as the Blue Dogs have stepped up their push for drilling both in the Arctic refuge and offshore, saying the oil royalties produced could pay for research into new energy technologies. “I propose that we drill in ANWR,” said Representative Mike Ross, Democrat of Arkansas, referring to the refuge. “We’ve already got a pipeline going to Alaska, the ANWR, that can handle two million barrels a day. We’re only putting one million in it. Let’s fill it up.”

But Ms. Pelosi, who considers energy legislation a personal priority, does not appear ready to shift her view, based on discussions in a private meeting with members of the leadership on Thursday. According to accounts from those present, Ms. Pelosi said that if Democrats relented on drilling, “then we might as well pack it up and go home.”

Ms. Pelosi instead forged ahead with the effort to encourage the White House to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, even listing the White House telephone number and e-mail address on a poster at a news conference to encourage consumers to join the appeal. She said the release of less than 10 percent of the 700 million barrels of oil in the reserve would influence the price at the pump “now, within 10 days, not within 10 years.” . . .

Pelosi continues to prove time and again that she is a masochistic politician who is heartless in her un-willingness to do anything and everything to help the American people while at the same time she insists on placing our National Security at risk. She welds her dictatorial control over house democrats and refuses to allow anything that might in any way give partisan credit also to the Republicans. She has helped lead the U.S Congress to its lowest approval rating ever.

Let's clarify the risk that Speaker Pelosi is willing to take even though it is not a solution to our petroleum resource needs. Lee S. Gliddon, Jr in Desert Conservative hits the nail on the head regarding Pelosi approach of releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve:

If you really think about Nancy Pelosi’s demands that we use our nation’s Emergency Reserve Oil Supply as a, ‘fix,’ you will see that she has no thoughts of the real ‘why’ this Emergency Reserve exits in the first place! Should Iran actually close the Straits of Hormus after were used the Emergency Reserves, then what? Nothing to be used and what would our military do? Nancy Pelosi has ideas but her ideas are going to destroy America!

Pelosis is clueless as Speaker of the House. And that is being nice. Because if she were not clueless, then she would be a traitor based on her past actions and comments while Speaker of the House. It is time for Speaker Pelosi to step down. If unwilling to step down, we can only hope there exists enough uncompromised Democrats like Rep. Mike Ross to lead in establishing a coalition of House Democrats to replace Pelosi. The United States needs a new Speaker who is a statesperson; a person more dedicated to the people than to liberal party pandering. America deserves and needs a better person speaking for the House to the public!

Holding the Left Accoubtable on Energy Prices

ARRA News Service - Conn Carroll, The Foundry, Morning Bell: The most important thing to remember as the debate over energy prices becomes a major issue in 2008 is that liberals want Americans to pay higher energy prices. That is why they sue to stop natural gas drilling in Wyoming, new refineries in South Dakota and coal power plants nationwide . The whole purpose of the Lieberman-Warner carbon capping bill was to increase the cost of energy to force Americans to use less of it. But now Americans are beginning to catch on to the left’s game, and they are not happy.

According to Rasmussen Reports, 67% of voters believe that offshore drilling should be allowed, and 64% believe lifting the ban on offshore drilling will lead to lower gas prices. A new Reuters poll found that 60% of Americans favor more domestic drilling and refinery construction to cool record prices. Facing an American public increasingly hostile to their energy policy, liberals in Congress are scrambling to find new arguments and policy proposals that can provide them with a patina of political cover. They include:

Lifting bans on domestic oil production will not lower energy prices. This liberal argument comes in two forms: 1) developing X oil well will not lower the price of gas and 2) it will take 10 years for the increased supply to lower prices. These arguments are especially pernicious because applied to each oil project today, they are technically true. However, if the test for developing any single oil field was whether it alone would lower the price of gas, then no oil field would ever be developed. Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will not lower gas substantially by itself, but there is so much more oil currently banned from production. Also, as the Washington Post’s Steven Pearlstein points out: “In energy, as with all commodity markets, prices are set at the margin — based on the last transaction — and short-run demand doesn’t change much in response to price fluctuations. In such markets, even small changes in supply can have a big impact on price.” Finally, liberal complaints that lifting domestic drilling bans today would take years to increase supply are completely unpersuasive since liberals have been making the same argument in support of oil production bans for decades now.

Oil companies leave billions of acres of already leased land idle. This incredibly deceptive argument is new to the left’s anti-energy arsenal. It is true that, as the left claims, oil companies already have 33 billion acres of offshore leases they are not currently drilling on. But these lands are far from idle. Oil production takes time and requires years of exploration and permitting. Oil companies are already paying billions of dollars every year for land they are exploring, and under current law, if they do not begin drilling by the time their lease is up, they lose their right to drill. This does not mean there are not billions of barrels of more profitable oil in banned areas. The Department of the Interior estimates that their are 19.1 billion barrels of oil and 83.9 trillion cubic feet of gas in the banned areas Outer Continental Shelf alone.

Speculators are to blame for the high price of gas. When all else fails, blame the moneychangers. This argument predates not only the environmental movement, but the country itself. As American Enterprise Institute scholar Kevin Hassett points out, Milton Friedman dealt with this specious claim in 1953: “If speculators know that the price of something is going to go up a month from now, they buy today. If they are correct, they make money, and the price change is smoothed by the higher demand today. … If speculators are, as is popularly believed, brilliant tacticians who are making a killing, then their activities are stabilizing. Speculation is good.”

Already there are cracks in left’s unity on the drilling issue. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) has co-sponsored a bill with Sen. John Warner (R-VA) to lift the ban on natural gas production off the coast of Virginia. More importantly though, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is refusing to even allow the House to vote on lifting the offshore drilling ban. She must know many from her own party would vote for the measure. After all, they would only be responding to the fact that their constituents are eager to hold them accountable on the issue. [Source]