Joe Pitts, August 14, 2008

The events on Capitol Hill over the last two weeks have been reminiscent of Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart’s story of an idealistic Mr. Smith who came to Washington and fought the political establishment. But the Republican effort to force Congress to consider energy legislation is no movie and it is no less real than the pain felt at the pump by the American people.

On Friday, August 1, Speaker Pelosi and her Democrat colleagues voted to adjourn for five weeks of Congressional recess. I, and my Republican colleagues, voted against the adjournment resolution because we thought it was not right for Congress to take a vacation without addressing the energy crisis. Many American families stayed home from their vacations this summer because of the high cost of gas at the pump.

So Republicans stayed. For two weeks now, House Republicans have taken to the House floor to continue their call for comprehensive energy legislation that increases American made energy right here at home. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi, whose office controls the Capitol, has ordered the cameras and microphones turned off and the lights dimmed. Yet this has not deterred us from continuing to deliver our message.

House Republicans know that our all-of-the-above, comprehensive energy plan is what the American people are looking for. We are calling for a vote on legislation that will increase the development of alternative and renewable energies, increase efficiency and conservation, as well as increase the production of American made energy right here at home. And we know that we have the support of the American people. We even have the support of enough of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to pass such legislation, if only Speaker Pelosi would allow us to vote on it.

Standing on a partially darkened House floor, speaking only to the American families that happen to be visiting the Capitol may seem as naïve as Mr. Smith was in Frank Capra’s film, but we sincerely believe that this is the right thing to do. Since the Speaker won’t let us use the microphones, we have gone ahead and brought the visitors down from the galleries and onto the floor. It is a truly an unprecedented campaign to deliver our message right to the people.

My office continues to receive messages from families and individuals who are being pinched by the high price of gasoline. And we are about to enter the winter months when home heating oil will become a major factor. Nearly everything we buy at the store, anything that requires transportation, is now increasing in price because of the high cost of diesel for the nation’s truckers. This is not a situation that calls for Congress to give itself a five week break so that Speaker Pelosi can go on a book tour trying to sell her personal memoirs.

The Speaker’s self-described quest to "save the planet" has blinded her to the facts of the situation. We send $700 billion a year abroad in exchange for oil that we import into the United States. Much of this price tag goes to thugs and dictators who are anti-democratic and sometimes openly anti-American. Instead of reducing our use of oil and natural gas, politicians like Speaker Pelosi have simply succeeded in reducing our use of domestic oil and natural gas, meaning we must import more from abroad. $700 billion a year could be going to domestic companies that provide domestic jobs using domestic resources.

This is why I am committed to a comprehensive energy policy that increases American made energy from our vast resources of oil and natural gas, much of which has been voluntarily put off-limits. At the same time, we must continue to encourage conservation and energy efficiency as well as investment in the future renewable and alternative energy technologies that will eventually move our nation beyond fossil fuels.

The response from the people sitting on the House floor has been tremendous. They are very engaged in our message. Our policy is a commonsense, non-partisan solution that makes use of our own nation’s natural resources as well as our massive potential to create the energy technologies of the future. All we ask for is the ability to bring up our policy for a vote. We know it can pass, with bipartisan support.

Though my entire time in public service has been a tremendous honor, I had not felt so much like Mr. Smith until this week. Standing on the floor of a dimmed House chamber, speaking to American families, against the wishes of the Speaker of the House, we don’t even have the benefit of microphones. But we do have the facts on our side and the support of the American people. This is why we will continue to fight.

Congressman Joe Pitts, a Republican, represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, which includes Lancaster County and parts of Chester County and Berks County.