Senator John Cornyn

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August 5, 2008

AUSTIN, TX – Last Friday, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid adjourned Congress for their summer vacation without passing any legislation to ease exorbitant energy prices for the American people.

On its face, it is embarrassing at best. Unfortunately, it gets worse.

Reid and Pelosi both refused to even allow debate on energy solutions. It is one thing to be against domestic exploration. But it is another to high-tail it out of town for vacation without even allowing Congress to deal with the problem. The overwhelming majority of Americans, and Congress, support increasing domestic production, but the far left-wing special interests oppose it, and that's who Pelosi and Reid are paying attention to.

So now, as they traipse around Napa Valley, the Hamptons and Martha's Vineyard, Americans - and Texans - are paying the price.

“It’s disappointing Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid care more about appeasing their Hollywood friends than they do about the hardship high energy prices cause their constituents,” Cornyn communications director Kevin McLaughlin said. “But sadly, they don’t.”

“The nation is confronted with an energy crisis. Congress should be working day and night to pass a comprehensive plan. Instead, they went on vacation,” McLaughlin concluded.

In honor of their gross negligence, Senator John Cornyn’s campaign has launched a petition telling Pelosi and Reid to “Get Back To Work!” A banner ad telling Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid to “Get Back to Work” is running on The Drudge Report and Townhall. Here us the ad.

 

 

To see the petition click here.

Senator John Cornyn believes Texas families shouldn't suffer because of their refusal to do the job they were elected to do. Finding bipartisan solutions should transcend petty partisan games. He has a clear, effective plan when it comes to lowering energy prices and reducing our reliance on foreign oil: “All of the above.”

Senator John Cornyn Supported The American Energy Production Act:

• Would lead to the estimated production of up to 24 billion barrels of oil -- enough oil to supply America for 5 years with no foreign imports.
• Strengthens domestic energy production by exploring in ANWR, additional outer continental shelves, shale areas, and provide for increased refinery capacity.
• Creates a revenue sharing agreement for participating states in which 37.5 percent of revenues will go to new producing states, 12.5 percent to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and 50 percent to the Federal Treasury. 
• Repeals the $4,000 fee for new applications for permits to drill that was established in last year’s Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
• Suspends filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for 180 days. 
• Repeals a provision in last year’s Omnibus which reduced mineral leasing revenue payments to States by 2 percent, and restores the 50/50 Federal-State revenue sharing structure.

Senator John Cornyn Co-Sponsored The Gas Price Reduction Act Of 2008

• Allows for deep sea exploration in the Atlantic and Pacific and in western shale areas, along with increased innovation.
  
• Provides incentives and funding for research and development towards electric cars and trucks.
• Strengthens U.S. futures markets.

Senator John Cornyn Has Strongly Backed Several Important Energy Bills:

Sen. Cornyn was an original co-sponsor the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act.

• Bill would allow Texas to share revenue from the exploration of offshore oil and gas in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and increase our domestic energy production.

Sen. Cornyn co-sponsored the Energy Efficiency Incentives Act of 2007 and the CREST Act.

• EXTEND the Energy Efficiency Incentives Act would provide consumers and businesses relief from high energy prices by extending energy-efficiency and solar energy tax incentives.
• The CREST ACT encourages the development of new energy technologies such as wind power.

Sen. Cornyn has repeatedly voted in favor of ANWR exploration.

• Would produce more than 1 million barrels of oil per day and provide jobs for over 1 million Americans.

Sen. Cornyn voted for comprehensive energy bills in 2003 and 2005.

• 2003 bill authorized funding for solar programs as well as coal-based research and development. It also launched programs for hydrogen fuel-cell transit buses, school buses, and automobiles.
• 2005 bill encouraged expansion of nuclear energy and greater use of ethanol. It also included tax credits residential solar energy system and energy efficient hybrid, clean-diesel, and fuel-cell vehicles.

Sen. Cornyn has voted against higher taxes on gas and oil companies, which would increase prices for consumers.

Sen. Cornyn voted to streamline the oil refinery permitting process and to provide grants for new refineries.

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