As I traveled through Northeastern Pennsylvania this week, everyone complained about the high cost of gasoline. Several local oil dealers warned about a potentially even bigger problem: the high cost of home heating oil. Prices are expected to double this winter, so that the average homeowner who uses 950 gallons of home heating oil could pay over $4,500 to stay warm this winter.
I was deeply impressed that these three local business owners are so concerned about their customers that they took the time to provide me with a carefully prepared memo outlining the problem. I agreed with all seven of their recommended solutions, which focused on increasing domestic production of fossil fuels while also developing alternative sources of energy. They also urged Congress to work to close the “Enron loophole,” an obscure provision then-Senator Gramm inserted into legislation to keep energy trading unregulated.
They happened to be Republicans, and I happen to be a Democrat, but by sitting down with one another we found ourselves in agreement. Congress needs to learn how to do the same thing. That is why I called on the bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate to have a summit before the August recess and try to end the partisan gridlock that is preventing any solutions from being enacted. The stakes are just too high to continue the political warfare.
Please feel free to contact my office at (800) 222-2346 with your ideas and suggestions, or you can visit my website at http://kanjorski.house.gov.
We need to drive oil prices back down to earth and we need to do it now. Call or write to Rep. Kanjorski or to Speaker Pelosi's office at 1-202-225-0100. Tell them we need offshore drilling, nuclear power plants, and an end to reliance on countries who do not have our best interests in mind.
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