As gas prices continue to escalate and headlines scream about Washington battles over how to manage our nation’s rising debt, predictably we hear calls for more taxes on the oil and gas industry. This anti-business lobby points to the profit reports of the large energy companies as their justification for more energy taxes, saying that energy producers need to pay their fair share of taxes. Let’s look at the facts. (more)
It’s nearly impossible to read, watch or listen to the news lately without updates on the uprisings in the Middle East. While some may view these events, tragic though they are, as removed from their day-to-day lives, their impact is in fact far too close to home. While nearly everyone agrees that this global tension further demonstrates the need to extricate the U.S. from unstable sources of energy abroad, our own government agencies have put in place policies that do the exact opposite. (more)
The president believes in energy security. I believe in energy independence. In case you missed the president’s weekly radio address, here is what the White House released on energy security, so I will not be accused of not understanding what they meant. The title of the address was “Energy Security Can Only Come If We Invest in Cleaner Fuels and Greater Efficiency.” (more)
In a speech Wednesday at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., President Obama will outline his plan for America’s energy security, and according to senior White House officials, forge a new course in public discussion on the future of the country’s oil supply and energy independence. (more)
In the early 1970s, America’s dependence on foreign oil was a little over 20 percent. Today, our dependence on foreign oil is over 65 percent. We have become more and more energy dependent because we have never had a serious energy independence strategy, and we still do not have one. (more)
While Congressional leaders in Washington are diligently working to keep our government open, thousands across North Africa and the Middle East are fighting to close their governments down. (more)
The BP oil spill will be remembered as one of the potentially worst man-made disasters in our history. There’s no question we need strong legislation that will help prevent future accidents like the Deepwater Horizon rig, but unfortunately, House Democrats chose to pursue legislation that will prevent us from exploring for oil with the CLEAR (Cutting Loose Energy and American Resources) Act. The CLEAR Act will actually increase our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the number of energy jobs overall, rather than simply focus on cleaning up the spill and preventing its recurrence. (more)
Hurricane season is in full swing and it is on the minds of many citizens in South Mississippi and along the Gulf Coast just what exactly is the plan of action in the unfortunate happenstance that a tropical storm or hurricane enters the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall while oil is on the surface of the Gulf. The potential for oil to be pushed ashore by storm surge or even to be rained down is extremely worrisome. With the now impending threat of Tropical Storm Bonnie, our worries will be tested and our worst fears could come to life. (more)
For the last few weeks a House-Senate conference committee has been at work trying to craft a final version of a financial regulation package. One amendment offered within that committee encapsulated the entire debate on regulatory reform, pitting institutionalized bailouts against depoliticized taxpayer protections. (more)
On Tuesday, President Obama promised in his Oval Office address that the US could end our addiction to imported oil through technological innovation and sheer gumption: (more)
Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said Friday that a “cynical” push for immigration reform by President Obama and Democrats have “significantly compromised” his bipartisan work on energy legislation. (more)
Editor’s Note: Daily Caller High is a group of young writers cutting their teeth in the world of political punditry. This week, the authors’ reflect on events of the past few weeks. (more)
Fighting climate change is a pressing national security issue, say seven retired generals and admirals who headed to Capitol Hill Thursday in an attempt to break the logjam on climate legislation. (more)
$93,193,772.94 and counting. (more)
Sarah Palin’s speech at the 2010 Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans proved one thing for sure: Palin is ready for the next step, whatever it may be. (more)
Recently, the president announced his new proposal for offshore drilling. Some argue this was a political tactic by the Administration to further their agenda and pass cap-and-trade legislation. Nonetheless, I hope the president is being sincere about efforts to use our resources here at home because ultimately our nation needs a commonsense, comprehensive energy plan that moves us to sustained energy independence. Gaining this independence is a matter of national security for the United States. (more)
Last month CNN aired the weeklong program “Broken Government,” which addressed whether our current system is broken, and if so, how to fix it. The unspoken assumption behind the series was that there are just a few bad cogs in the system, but if only we could repair and replace them, everything would be splendid. (more)
Yesterday, President Obama proposed plans to open offshore drilling and exploration along the southern Atlantic coast, a portion of the eastern Gulf of Mexico and some of the coast of Alaska. This is a welcome step forward by the previously reluctant administration. Remember that President Bush lifted the ban on drilling offshore in June 2008 and the Congress followed by passing legislation in October 2008 when the cost of gasoline hit $4 per gallon. Having advocated for seven years for the federal government to allow Virginia to safely explore for oil and gas off our coast, it is good to see the president following the law. (more)
